SSDD
by Destro-of-the-worldses
Summary: During what appears to be just another rutine mission for SG-1, they are thrown out of the Stargate in a strange world. It is a paradoxial copy of earth during the year of 1945, with the addition of Aliens and girls that don't wear pants. Features SG-1 and the 501st JFW
1. Prologue

Discalimer: I don't own either Stargate: SG-1 or Strike Witches

BTW: SSDD stands for Same Shit Different Day (the title had to be kiddy apropriate)

* * *

Prologue

Colonel JonathanJ.O'Neill, commonly referred to as Jack, walked through the halls of Stargate Command to the Gate Room, where the rest of his team and the 'parcel' awaited. He was dressed in the standard SGC BDU, Kevlar vest with a Zat'nik'tel, commonly called a Zat gun – a Goa'uld handgun like weapon in the shape of a serpent – strapped to his thigh and carrying the standard issue P90.

He walked into the gate room where the rest of his team, Major SamanthaCarter, who was simply called Sam, , and Teal'c of Chulak – a Jaffa worrier who had defected – were already waiting with a cart full of rifles and various other weapons, and a small portion of Naquadah. They all had the same gear as Jack, save for Teal'c who had a Goa'uld staff weapon – an energy weapon that was powered by liquid Naquadah. The motorised cart of weapons and Naquadah was for the people of P3X 282 to assist them in overthrowing their dictator.

"You know," Jack began to the rest of his team as he slipped on his black military cap, "I understand why we're giving them guns, but can someone please tell me why we're giving them Naquadah, one of the rarest and most valuable elements in our universe?"

"Because Chackon," Daniel said, using the name the locals had assigned to P3X 282, "is rich in Naquadah."

"Care to explain a bit further?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Think of it as a loan," Sam chimed in, "we give them this batch here along with some guns for them to reverse engineer to help free their people, and in return they give us a steady supply of Naquadah once they get their mines up and running."

"Chevron one encoded," one of the operators in the control room said over the PA, as the ring started turning.

"I still don't get why we're being sent," Jack said, shaking his head, "Shouldn't one of the other teams handle this, I was on holiday."

"Chevron two encoded."

Daniel rested his hands on the P90 that was connected to his Kevlar vest with a single connection strap, "It's a sensitive situation, Jephie…" Jephie was the dictator on P3X 282, "…has threatened to detonate a Naquadah bomb in the capital."

"Chevron three encoded."

"They're sending us to deal with a Naquadah bomb?!" Jack yelled, "That's SG-4's specialty."

"Chevron four encoded."

"I believe this needs more tact than SG-4 poses," Teal'c added.

Jack crossed his arms, "Fine, let's get this over with."

"Chevron five encoded."

"So how long has this civil war been going on, anyway?" Jack asked, wanting to know exactly what his team was walking into.

"A couple of years," Daniel replied.

"Chevron six encoded."

Jack sighed, "Some days, I hate this job."

Teal'c raised his eyebrow, the way in which showed he was confused, "I thought you said you loved this job?"

"Chevron seven encoded."

The Gate came to life, the 'splash' coming right up to the yellow and black line.

"A'ight people," Jack said loudly to his team, "let's go overthrow a dictator."

They stepped through the Gate, the motorised cart following close behind.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the SGC, the moment SG-1 stepped through the Gate, Jephie detonated the Naquadah bomb, destroying the Gate on P3X 282. Due to the 'return to sender' safety protocol built into all gates, SG-1 was sent back to earth mid wormhole; however the wormhole was hit by a solar flare, sending SG-1 not to their Earth.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The earth opened up in the clearing to reveal a blue plasma 'splash', followed by four figures and a motorised cart.

Jack hit the ground with a thud and rolled, as did the rest of his team. He shook his head to get rid of the silver specs dancing before his eyes and looked around. He immediately knew they were not on P3X 282, as that was a tropical planet, and they were in a forest of some sort. "Everybody okay?"

"I am fine, O'Neill," Teal'c said, leaning on his staff, "However I believe Daniel is injured."

"Nothing permanent," Sam said, rushing to Daniel's side. Daniel was unconscious, next to the overturned motorised cart. "He's got a broken leg, I don't think we'll be able to move him for a while."

"Okay," Jack said, trying to figure out what to do. He peered into the five foot deep hole they had been ejected from and saw a Stargate lying at the bottom. "Okay, Teal'c and I will go look around, see if we can find some friendly people. Sam, stay here with Daniel."

"Yes, sir," Sam said, turning her attention back to Daniel.

Jack looked at the sun, decided which way was north, and went east. After an hour of trudging across the landscape, which varied from forest to grassy plains, the smell of the ocean growing stronger, until they saw a hill in the distance with a well surrounded by ruins at the top.

"If that's not a sign of civilisation," Jack said with a smile, adjusting his sunglasses, "then I don't know what is."

The two walked up the hill to the well, and saw a homestead on an island, connected to the mainland by a long, stone bridge. Jack could only just make out a few figures in front of one of the buildings. He took out his binoculars and shook his head after a moment. "I must have hit my head."

"What do you see, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked in his usual deep voiced monotone.

"A bunch of girls on broomsticks with no pants. And I think wearing animal ears."

"This is no time for your humour," Teal'c chided.

"I'm not kidding, buddy," Jack assured his bald friend, handing him his binoculars.

Teal'c grunted after a quick look through the binoculars.

Jack patted Teal'c on the shoulder, "Told you so."

"Indeed."

"Here's the plan: I go and act all friendly like to see if they can help Daniel, and you cover me with the staff."

"I do not believe that is wise, O'Neill," Teal'c told the Colonel, shifting his gaze slightly,

Jack sighed, "'fraid we don't have much choice, buddy."

Jack climbed back down the hill and went around to the bridge. He took a deep breath and kept his hands by his sides. As he walked across the bridge, he began to see the people more clearly as he crossed the bridge. They were still straddling the brooms sticks, and still wearing animals ears… but they also had animal's tails that were wagging. "This is a weird planet." Then they started to levitate on the broomsticks. "I must be seeing things. I gotta be."

The three girls saw him and their eyes widened. They fell to the ground and a blond haired girl with glasses and fancy blue clothes, minus the pants though at least she had tights, stormed up to him, "Cosa pensi che stai facendo?!"

Jack held up his hands defensively. Even though he couldn't understand what the girl was saying, it sounded angry, and Italian oddly enough. "Whoa, easy there. One of my…"

A girl in what looked to be a sailor's outfit with brown hair leaned over and talked quietly to one with lighter brown hair done into a single braided pony tail and a grey cardigan, who at least had the decency to wear something over her legs like the angry one. "Um," the lighter haired girl said, sounding quite nervous, "do you only speak English?"

Jack blinked. People on other planets had often spoken the same language, but seldom referred to it as English. "Uh, yeah. Listen, I don't mean any harm, but one of my friends is in trouble."

"What sort of trouble," the girl in the sailor's uniform asked.

"A broken leg, probably some bruising as well."

"Okay, let's go help your friend," she burst out, a determined look on her face.

"Who do you think you are!" a short old lady shouted as she came out of the cottage, "What are you doing here!"

"I'm Colonel JonathanO'Neill-"

"You're in the army?" the lady wondered, rubbing her chin.

"Uh, something like that. Listen, my friend really needs some help. He's injured and we don't have any medical equipment."

"We have to go help them," the dark brown haired girl said, turning to the old lady, her voice dripping with conviction.

The old lady thought for a moment, and then said, "Okay, but you have to fly there."

At first, this seemed only logical to Jack; if they had something to fly with they could get to the injured Daniel faster. However, when the three girls got on the brooms again, "Excuse me, what the hell are you doing?"

The girls said nothing, but instead began levitating on the brooms. It was all too much, Jack feinted.

* * *

Teal'c had been watching from the hilltop, and had rushed down to see if O'Neill was okay when his friend collapsed. He had been certain that the girls and that old lady hadn't done anything, and was shocked to see them trying to fly on broomsticks; however his friend needed help, so that far outweighed the shock.

When Teal'c crossed the bridge, the girls looked at him and one the one in blue jumped up and put her hands on her hips, "now who the heck are you?!"

"I am a friend of his," Teal'c said, motioning at the collapsed O'Neill, keeping the other hand on his Zat'nik'tel. "I do not wish to harm you, but if you do not step aside…"

"Now, now," an old lady chimed, there's no need for that, "your friend will be fine, he just feinted was all."

Teal'c stood on one knee next to his friend, tapping his face, "O'Neill. O'Neill, wake up…"

* * *

Jack felt someone tapping his face and a deep voice saying, "…up, O'Neill. Come on, O'Neill." It was Teal'c.

Jack grabbed his friend's hand and used it to help pull himself up, "I'm up, buddy."

"I couldn't sense anything wrong with him," the dark haired girl said, scratching his head, "I don't know why he feinted."

"That little stunt with the brooms," Jack said dryly, "as amusing as it was, this isn't the time for it. Now take off those ears, get some pants on, and let's go help my friend."

The girls blinked at him. "Ears? Pants?" the one with glasses began with a huff, "you would think he's never even heard of a Witch before."

"We're not from your planet, kiddo," Jack informed her, "So you'll have to excuse us for not knowing a few things."

"Is this some kind of joke?!"

"We came through the Stargate," Jack began patiently, before remembering that it had been buried before they came through it. "Well, you see, we…" Jack put a hand on his chest and motioned at Teal'c with the other to demonstrate 'we', "…are from a planet called Earth."

"He thinks we're idiots!" the blond one scoffed, stomping her foot.

"But, this is Earth," the one with the braided pony tail said from behind the dark brown haired one.

Jack shared a look with Teal'c that meant that they were both thinking the same thing. _Just what we bloody need_, Jack thought to himself, _a damn alternate reality. Well, not the first time this has happened_. "So you claim this is Earth," Jack pointed at the ground with both hands, "correct?"

Pony tail nodded.

"Okay, so what country are we in?"

"Romagna," the dark haired girl answered.

"I have never heard of such a country," Teal'c admitted, looking at O'Neill. Even having been on Earth for a number of years, Teal'c was still learning a lot about Earth culture, science, and other general things about the Earth.

"Me neither," Jack said, shaking his head and crossing his arms, "Sorta sounds like Rome though, and they were speaking what I think was Italian earlier. Think we're in Italy?"

"I do not know."

"Enough," the old lady said, "I thought you had a friend that needed help. Since these girls clearly can't fly properly yet, and this isn't a good time for them to practice, then I guess you will have to walk."

"Okay… we'll wait till they get some pants on and take off those tails and ears."

All of a sudden, the tails and ears simply… receded. There was no other word for it.

"What do you mean "put on pants"?" the dark brown haired girl asked, "Witches don't wear pants."

"Wha-" Jack began with a hint of anger in his voice, but he was cut off by the old lady.

"You say your friend is in trouble, so get going. There is no time to waste."

"I'll lead the way," Jack said, beginning his walk back across the bridge, "Don't stray behind, we'll be keeping a brisk pace."

Jack led the girls to the gate hole, where Daniel was conscious, but looking like he was in a lot of pain, and Sam had one of the M4s out of the motorised cart. The dark haired girl immediately ran to the injured Daniel despite being out of breath.

"Who are they?" Sam asked professionally.

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, we didn't have much time for introductions. I can tell you we're in another alternate reality though, back on Earth in Italy. They," he swung his head at the girls gathering around the dark haired girl, Teal'c keeping an eye on them, "call it Romagna, after Rome I think."

"And why aren't they wearing pants?" Sam said, sounding half angry, half disappointed.

Jack shrugged. "Oh, also they grow animal ears and tails."

"What? Jack, if this is joke…"

"I'm afraid not. I think we found a weird Earth this time."

"O'Neill," Teal'c shouted from the gathering of girls, "Daniel is healed."

"What?" Jack demanded, his voice dripping with exasperation and over emphasis on the H.

"Yeah," Daniel grunted as Teal'c helped him up, "I'm not sure how, but yeah, I'm fine."

There was a loud… scream, or maybe a yell Jack thought, a little bit like a whale.

"A Neuroi!" the blond girl yelled.

"A what?" The whole of SG-1 asked simultaneously.

"You don't…?" the blond girl began, before finally coming to realise that SG-1 were not from their dimension. "It's an alien thing that shoots beams at people," she summarised.

"So… a bad guy?" Jack tried to simplify.

The blond nodded, "Bad guys."

"Okay everyone," Jack said loud enough for all to hear, "grab an assault rifle and some ammo from the crate. You come with us and hide in the trees. If something happens, you run. Don't stay or hide, run."

"But we can help," the dark haired girl that had somehow healed Daniel began to protest.

"Just get into the trees," Jack ordered, grabbing an M4 from the motorised cart, "Follow Daniel. The rest of us, into the trees in ambush positions. We fight only if we have to, otherwise I'd like to avoid combat."

The girls sprouted tails and ears and all their faces grew determined, if not stubborn, the blond saying "Witches fight Neuroi, it's what we do. We are helping."

Jack rubbed the top of his nose and said to himself, "Argh, 'coarse I find the stubborn locals." Then out loud, "Fine, grab a rifle, get in the tree line and wait for my signal. Got it?"

"Yessir," they nodded, walking over to the motorised cart and grabbing a rifle each. Sam gave them a quick rundown on how the rifle worked and they all hid in the forest.

The scream sounded again, closer this time. A big red and black stingray shaped vessel flew overhead. The girls didn't even hesitate to open fire. "God dammit!" Jack cursed as he and the rest of the team opened fire too.

The vessel fired what looked like laser beams randomly into the forest, unable to pinpoint where it was being shot from. The laser beams destroyed whatever they touched.

Jack's rifle hit empty, he ejected the spent magazine, and then realised he hadn't picked up any spares. He was too far from any of his teammates to request a fresh magazine, and yelling might help the hostile pinpoint his position, so he pulled out his Zat gun and fired at it. The Zat gun coupled with Teal'c's Staff Weapon were an effective combination. The stingray shaped vessel turned about to retreat.

"Don't let it get away!" one of the girls shouted. The one with glasses Jack suspected.

"Use your Zat guns!" Jack shouted.

He saw two more blasts from Zat guns coming from the forest.

The vessel went down and crashed in the forest.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter two

"It's not destroyed yet," the blonde one said, jumping from her concealed position, the other two girls following.

"Hey, wait!" Jack tried to protest, but they ignored him. He cursed and followed them, the rest of the team following him.

After not long, they got to the crash site of the stingray shaped vessel. The girls approached it slowly, rifles at the ready. Carefully they climbed on top of it, and slowly edged their way to the top of the vessel, where they began to fire into the hull.

"What are they doing?" Sam asked.

Jack shrugged.

"There's the Core," the one with the braided hair muttered, reloading her M4. After a moment, the vessel began to disintegrate and the girls seemed to run for their very lives, trying to keep ahead of the disintegrating of the vessel.

"What are those things?" the blond one asked, pointing at the Zat guns and Teal'c's Staff Weapon.

"We call it a Zat gun," Jack said candidly, then pointed a finger at the girl, "Better question yet, who are you?"

"Wh- Oh, of course," the blond one said, "how could we forget to introduce ourselves?" She placed a hand on her chest, "I am Flying Officer Perrine H. Clostermann." She pointed at the dark brown haired girl, "Sergeant YoshikaMiyafuji." And then she gestured at the girl with the braided piny tail, "and Sergeant LynetteBishop. All of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, also known as the Strike Witches."

Jack wasn't all that surprised to find that they were in the military, they had picked up on how to use the M4s quickly enough and Clostermann at least had a certain air about her.

Jack tilted his head at Sam, "This is Major SamanthaCarter." He pointed a Daniel, " ." He slipped his Zat gun back into its holster and gestured at Teal'c, "You've already met Teal'c of Chulak." He pointed a thumb at himself, "and I'm Colonel JonathanO'Neill, but you can just call me Jack."

"And just call me Sam," the Major added, "from what I gather, we're in Italy, or what you call Romagna?"

"That is correct," Flying Officer Clostermann answered.

"Don't s'pose we could stay with you guys 'till we get a better idea of where we are?" Jack asked. They needed a place to stay until they could find their footing, and somewhat trusting these people – not that they had much choice –, it might as well be at their place.

Flying Officer Clostermann opened her mouth, but Sergeant Miyafuji cut in, "of course you can stay with us. We'll help you carry your stuff."

Jack shrugged, "Well, if you really insist."

On their way back to the Gate, Sergeant Bishop quickened her pace to catch up with Jack, "Um, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get here?"

"Through the Gate," he answered simply.

"Gate?"

"Yeah, you know, the Stargate."

She gave him a confused look.

"That big ring at the bottom of the hole where Daniel was hurt?"

"Oh… I didn't really look into the hole."

"Well, when we get there you can have a look. We probably won't need much help with our stuff anyway, just fix the motorised cart and…" Jack made a zooming sound.

"Uh, okay."

Jack could sense the girl's nervousness, "Hey, there's no need to be nervous; we're not going to hurt anyone."

After they arrived, Sam and Daniel got to work checking over the motorised cart to make sure it worked after Jack and Teal'c helped to upright it. While that was happening, the girls were peering into the hole left by the Stargate.

"Wow," Sergeant Miyafuji exclaimed, "It's huge!"

"You have not seen one before?" Teal'c asked, standing next to the trio.

"We don't even know what it is," Flying officer Clostermann answered.

"Cart's up and running," Sam shouted to the group after a moment.

"Alrighty," Jack said with a smile, "let's go."

* * *

Minna was sitting in her office doing paperwork when Mio came along saying that Perrine was on the radio. Minna wasted no time going to the control room, seeing as how Perrine wouldn't be contacting her if it wasn't important.

The Karlslander put on the clunky headset and said, "It's Minna. What is it Perrine?"

"We met some people, ma'am," the Gallian answered, "they claim to be from a different reality. And I believe them."

"What?" Minna said angrily, "If this is some kind of joke…"

"It's not, ma'am. They came through what they call a 'Stargate' and had weapons that could disable a Neuroi from the ground."

"You were engaged by a Neuroi?"

Perrine took a moment to answer, "yes, ma'am. It appeared not long after we went to help them. One of their unit was injured and Anna sent us to go help them."

"Unit," Minna pondered, "they're military?"

"I believe so, ma'am, yes. SG-1. I don't know what it stands for but they said the work with the USAF, some sort of Liberion counterpart perhaps. Anyway, they have weapons that can disable Neuroi, Zat guns I think they called them. What should we do?"

Minna thought this over for a moment; she needed a little more information before she would be able to come to a decision. "How many are they?"

"Four."

"Threat assessment?"

"If they wanted to harm us, I think they would have by now."

"Okay, bring them in." Minna took of the headset and rested it next to the radio.

"Newcomers?" Mio asked, leaning in the door way with her arms crossed.

Minna shook her head, "Something like that. Four people that Perrine says are from a different reality and have weapons capable of disabling Neuroi from the ground. I don't know," Minna shook her head again.

"Perrine doesn't normally act rashly or jump to conclusions," Mio said half to herself, "and I can't imagine her doing anything that she thought would put anyone at the base in danger."

"That's what worries me," Minna muttered, "let's talk some more in my office."

The two walked back to Minna's office, where she made sure to lock the door, and even then they still spoke quietly. "Since they won't be able to fly, we'll have to send Shirley to pick them up in the truck, and arrange sleeping quarters for them. And have someone keep an eye on them."

Mio rubbed her chin, "Well, I think we could have Trude on security, and I think there might be some spare rooms in the lower levels."

"They get one room," Minna said firmly.

"How long do we wait till we tell command about this?"

"We leave it as long as we can. If we find out they are lying, which I believe is most likely, then we lock them up until they can be court marshalled, and if they try to break out… we shoot them."

Mio grimaced. Normally Minna wasn't so aggressive with her decisions, and Mio had been working with Minna long enough to know when she was troubled. "Perhaps we should just alert command, have them handle it."

"You remember Air Chief Marshal Dowding back in Britannia; you want someone like him getting his hands on this 'anti-Neuroi' technology?"

"I see your point."

* * *

Shirley was working on her Strikers in the hanger, a light blue bandana holding her hair back when Major Sakamoto came in and barked "Shirley!" causing the Liberian to jump and hit her head on the scaffolding that held up her Strikers.

"You don't have to yell," she moaned, rubbing her head.

"I need you to go pick up Yoshika, Lynne and Perrine, plus some extras." The Fuso Witch ordered.

"Extras?" Shirley began twirling the wrench in her hand and scratching her head, "We talking people or cargo?"

"People."

"Who?"

"Find out when you get there. Take the truck, the Commander wants you gone five minutes ago."

Shirley sighed, "yes, ma'am." She threw the wrench back in the tool box and decided it best to leave the Strikers where they were as it would take too long to put them away.

Tearing the blue bandana from her head, Shirley snatched the keys for her truck from the desk in her room and ran as fast as her legs would allow her to the garage, making a quick stop by the dinner hall to get something to eat for the trip, it would be a long one.

* * *

"Who're they?" Shirley wondered aloud as she crossed the stone bridge. In addition to Yoshika, Lynne and Perrine, there were four other figures, all dressed in black, the oldest looking of the lot with black tinted glasses and a military cap to match. That they were military was about all the Liberian could tell, the strange clothes, no matter how odd, were distinctly military.

"Howdy all," Shirley greeted everyone, "I heard you needed a lift back home?"

"And… who might you be?" the man with tinted glasses and the hat asked, his accent was familiar but she couldn't pick it.

Shirley smacked her forehead, "Bah, where are my manners." She did an elaborate bow, "Flight Lieutenant , at your service."

"Yeager…?" the woman dressed in black said with the same accent as the man, seaming to try and figure something out, "Yeager… Yeager… where have I…?" She clicked her fingers, "You wouldn't happen to be related to ChuckYeager would you?"

"Who?" Shirley asked with a tilt of her head much like a confused animal.

"He was the first person to break the sound barrier," the woman elaborated.

Shirley laughed, nearly keeling over, speaking in between fits of laughter, "A… a man…?" she laughed even harder, "You think it was a… man!" Shirley had to take a few deep breaths in order to calm herself so that she could speak properly. "No, no, it's wasn't that Chuck guy that broke the sound barrier, it was me."

"Hold on a sec," a man with clear glasses said, also with that familiar accent, "Are you…? What year is it?"

_What are they, stupid?_Shirley thought, but she said out loud, "1945, what year did you think it was?"

"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck, "when we left home it was 2002."

Shirley shook her head, "You got a bad sense of humour."

Shirley could see Perrine shaking her head out the corner of her eye. "It's not a joke," the Gallian said, "they are from a different dimension and from what else I have heard, I would not doubt they are from a different time as well."

"You're kidding," Shirley said with a scowl. She knew the Gallian wasn't though; Perrine didn't _have_ a sense of humour.

"No, I believe their story, and there is substantial evidence to support it," Perrine added.

"It's true," Yoshika said, jumping to Perrine's side, "we saw the Stargate and everything, they even have weapons that can bring down a Neuroi much faster than we can with our Strikers!"

Lynne stepped up next to her friend and nodded, "Mm-hmm."

Shirley sighed and shook her head, "You guys are taking this joke _way_ too far. C'mon, grab your stuff and get in the truck." Shirley pointed her thumb at her truck at the other end of the bridge.

"I'm Colonel JonathanO'Neill by the way," the capped man said.

Shirley snapped her fingers, finally figuring out where the accent was from, "Liberion! That's it, you're from Liberion! What unit you guys from?"

"America, actually," Colonel O'Neill said, "we call it America where we come from."

"Just go get your stuff, Colonel; I'll be waiting in the truck." Shirley began walking back across the bridge to her truck.

"Just call me Jack," the Colonel shouted after her. "None of this Colonel business, I'm not in your military."

"Just call me Shirley then, Jack," she shouted over her shoulder, waving her hand.

Shirley waited in her truck for twenty minutes before everyone else got there, however she was surprised to see some sort of… she guesses motorised cart was the only way to describe it. She hastily climbed out the truck, holding up her hands, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, I was told people, not cargo. I have no problems with you bringing that stuff along, but I can't take that… cart. It won't fit, you need to unload it into the back if you want to take it all with you, but it'll be cramped."

The others clad in black looked at Jack, who shrugged, "It's her truck."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter three

After being taken to the Base of the 501st JFW, SG-1 had been escorted to the Wing Commander's office by a short blond girl and a taller dark brown haired girl with twin pony tails, both wearing German Luftwaffe uniforms, one black and the other grey.

"Looks like we've been captured by Nazis," Jack whispered to Sam.

"Nazis that are friendly with Americans," Sam whispered back, "raises a few more questions."

"No talking," the brown haired one with the grey uniform growled.

After going up a couple of flights of stairs and a dozen or so hallways, they were taken into a big office where a red haired girl sat behind a desk wearing a green Luftwaffe uniform, and a woman perhaps in her early twenties with an eye patch what Jack would recognise as a Japanese navy uniform.

"I'm Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, commanding officer of the Strike Witches," she motioned at the Japanese woman who had her hands on the pommel of her sword, "and this is Major Mio Sakamoto, my second in command. Now, I understand that you have weapons that are highly effective against Neuroi?"

Just before Jack stepped forward, Daniel quietly warned, "Don't poke the bear, Jack."

"Relax," Jack said reassuringly, "when do I ever poke the bear?"

His whole team, even Teal'c whose expression rarely changed, gave him a look of frustration. The truth was that Jack was an expert on bear poking.

"Now, let's not get off on the wrong foot here, okay? For starters, hi, hello, we come in peace. I'm Colonel JonathanO'Neill, but you can just call me Jack. Secondly, we don't know much about you or who you are so discussing weapon technology in case we happen to be giving it to some warlord or tyrant is kind of foolish."

"So, you're a funny man?" Wing Commander Wilcke said with an eyebrow raised angrily, "I'm afraid that isn't going to get you very far here. Now answer the question, do you, or do you not have weapons that are capable of disabling a Neuroi?"

"People keep using that word," Daniel interrupted, stepping forward, "but what exactly _is_ a Neuroi?"

"Answer the question," the Wing Commander said firmly.

"We can't answer it if we don't know what it means," Jack muttered angrily.

"You truly don't know what a Neuroi is?" Major Sakamoto asked, quietly but incredulously.

"No, we don't," Jack replied, "So would someone please explain what they are rather than shaking your heading and explaining how we have a bad sense of humour."

"They Neuroi are the enemy," the Wing Commander explained, "they appeared six years ago out of nowhere and just started attacking. The only way to kill one is to destroy its Core, and shooting anywhere else will not permanently damage it as it regenerates. Aside from that, we know very little else."

"Hold on a second," Jack said, only a little frustrated, "You mean to say you've been fighting those stingray things for six years and don't know anything else besides that?"

"I agree that it is frustrating, but we know how to kill them and that is enough for now. Let scientists and Generals deal with that sort of thing though. Now, the anti-Neuroi weapon?"

"You mean the Zat gun?" Jack removed the said weapon from its holster and 'activated' it.

The girls jumped as it opened up.

"It works well on most things," Jack grinned.

"Yes, well, how many do you have?"

"The four of them, so you can't have any… if that's what you were leading to anyway."

The Wing Commander grimaced, "Are you sure about that?"

"Positive. Would you hand a bunch of weird people your alien technology?"

"It's alien?" Major Sakamoto asked.

"Yeah, anyway, we need a place to stay while we figure out a way to get back home, don't s'pose we could stay here?"

Jack may not have seemed it on the outside, but he could pick up the little things, like the slight smile – barely a curving of the lips – that crossed the Wing Commander's face for less than a second. "We know very little about you," she said, "so for the same reasons you will not share weapons technology, we cannot provide shelter for you."

Jack shrugged, "that's a fair call…" he began explaining their situation, and when neither the Wing Commander nor the Major believed him, Daniel and Sam stepped in to explain, and did a much more convincing job than Jack did. Then they asked some questions of their own, mostly concerning the Striker technology and the 'Witch' culture as Daniel had put it.

"Okay then," Wing Commander Wilcke said after a couple of hours of explanations, "here's the deal: you share what you know of this… 'Goa'uld' technology and the Naquadah element, and we will share Striker technology and give you food and shelter. From there we may be able to get back to your own…" she shook her head disbelievingly as if not liking what she was about to say, "… dimension and time."

* * *

"So what exactly powers these again?" Sam asked as she looked at Shirley's disassembled Striker. It was a fascinating concept.

"Magic," Shirley replied simply.

"Very funny," Sam said with a slight smile, "but really, what powers it? From what I remember of technology of the mid forties, there's nothing that can possibly work these." She shrugged, "we don't even have it these days."

Shirley, who was sitting on a crate with her legs crossed cleared her throat to get Sam to look at her, then produced her hare's ears and tail.

"Oh, right. Well, I'm thinking I might be able to power it with Naquadah." Sam put her hands on top of her head and looked at the machine, "On a scale of one to ten, one being simple, ten being difficult, how difficult is it to take apart and put back together?"

"About a seven or eight," the… Liberian she called herself, from Liberion. Sam was curious as to why the countries were all named differently except for Greece, but was leaving that investigation to Daniel, he specialised in that sort of thing. "But that's just for me, and I've been working on them for a few years now, for you… I'd say a twelve."

"Well, no one said-" someone reached around from behind and grabbed Sam's chest. Sam grabbed the hands and threw them off her chest, then turned around to see Pilot Officer Lucchini, whom she had only seen when the Wing Commander had introduced them to everybody, storming off, muttering about there not being anything there.

"What was that about? A confused Sam asked Shirley.

The orange haired girl giggled, "She's upset because that metal vest you're wearing got in the way of her groping."

"Groping's normal here?" Sam exclaimed.

Shirley shrugged, "Only from some of the younger girls. We let them get away with it because it helps them to cope with the war. Anyway, enough about that, let's start showing you how a Striker works." Shirley jumped from her crate and got a spanner out of her toolbox, "First thing you have to know about is the magical engine…"

* * *

Teal'c sat outside under a tree, reading a book that Daniel had given him from the library he had been studying in with Flying Officer Clostermann; it was called _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ by a man named Verne. It was quite a fascinating book. Unlike the others, Teal'c had not been tasked with learning or teaching anything, so he was learning more about the Tau'ri world. Despite living with them for five years, he had much to learn.

"One hundred more stroke!" Major Sakamoto shouted at Sergeant Miyafuji.

"Yes, ma'am," Sergeant Miyafuji shouted back.

Teal'c put down the book and walked over the dark haired woman with a long pony tail, "Excuse me Major Sakamoto, but may I ask what you are doing?"

She gave him a slightly puzzled look, and then smiled, "Training."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, "You will fight these Neuroi with swords?"

"If we have to, yes. A gun only holds so many bullets."

"Why do you not simply carry more ammunition with you?"

"We have to keep the weight limit down for our Strikers, otherwise we'll be too slow to fight, or even take off in some cases."

"I see, in that case, may I train with you using my staff weapon instead of a sword?"

The Major smacked his shoulder and laughed heartily, "It's good to see such enthusiasm from people of a different land."

Teal'c looked at his shoulder and then back at Major Sakamoto, _another strange custom_. "I shall return with my staff." Teal'c walked off to the room that SG-1 had been assigned and retrieved his staff. It was a small room with two bunk beds and two chests of drawers. He returned to Major Sakamoto, staff in hand, "I am ready to begin, Major Sakamoto."

"Okay, let's begin…" Major Sakamoto began to show Teal'c how to use a sword, and he adapted it to his staff.

"You learn very well," the Major complimented, she laughed, "Perhaps you should be teaching Miyafuji. Another hundred strokes Miyafuji."

Sergeant Miyafuji made a pained noise in her throat and said, "Yes, ma'am."

After another hour, Major Sakamoto said, "That should be enough for today. Go get some rest."

Sergeant Miyafuji fell to the ground with her arms spread and sighed with relief.

"Do you have any training dummies, Major Sakamoto?" Teal'c asked, not nearly as out of breath as Sergeant Miyafuji, not out of breath at all in fact.

"You wish to train more?"

"Indeed, Major Sakamoto."

Sergeant Miyafuji raised her head to look at Teal'c in a look of horror, "What?! How…!?" she collapsed to the ground, out of breath again.

Major Sakamoto put her hands on her sword's pommel, "You know a training dummy doesn't fight back. Since you still seem to have some strength in you bones, why don't I be your opponent?"

Teal'c inclined his head, "If that is what you wish."

Major Sakamoto grinned, "I will not go easy on you just because we just met."

"Not I. However, I am afraid I must go eat first."

Major Sakamoto put a hand on her stomach, "Now that you mention it, I'm a little hungry too. We will meet back here in one hour."

Teal'c looked at the setting sun, "It will be dark by then."

"Then it will be night combat training."

"I can't believe this," Sergeant Miyafuji muttered, still out of breath and on the ground.

* * *

"You accepted a duel?!" O'Neill burst out when he heard the news, "What's wrong with you, Teal'c?!" They were all sitting around the dining table, Witches – that was what the girls called themselves – and SG-1, though the two groups sat at either end of the table.

"It is not a duel, O'Neill," Teal'c replied in his calm manner, "we are simply doing more training."

"Actually, I think it's a good idea," Daniel chimed it, "Major Sakamoto seems to be held in quite high regard, and from what I hear she considers training more important than anything else. By Teal'c doing more training with her he'll get on her good side and by extension we might too; if we're in the Major's good books than the others might be friendlier which will make our stay a bit easier."

Sam leaned forward, "I agree. From what Shirley has told me, everyone basically looks up to the Major, especially that Miyafuji and Clostermann. And Miyafuji seems to have had a measure of influence over the others in the time she has spent here."

"I still think this is a bad idea," O'Neill told the rest of his team; "if Teal'c hurts her too badly it could cause a lot of trouble for us."

"Do not worry, O'Neill," Teal'c told his friend, "I will not cause her harm."

O'Neill looked across the table at the Japanese, or 'Fuso' as they called it here, Witch who was talking with the Wing Commander, "Just be gentle okay, she doesn't look as tough as your usual sparing partners."

* * *

"I don't like this," Minna told Mio while looking at the newcomers on the other end of the table, "do you really think beating up one of them is going to get them to share their weapons?"

"I'm not going to beat him up," Mio scoffed, "we're just doing some night, close quarters training. Besides, I'm interested in seeing how he fights with that staff of his, it is an interesting weapon."

"It's too dangerous, Mio. If these people are from a different time as they claim, then who knows what sort of tricks they might have."

"I believe Teal'c to be an honourable man," Mio said firmly, crossing her arms.

"Please don't do it, Major," Perrine pleaded, "It's too dangerous."

"You don't think the Major is strong enough to beat him?" Francesca teased from across the table from Perrine.

"That's not what I meant you, mongrel!" Perrine sneered.

"Calm down," Minna chided, then turned her attention back to Mio, "For all our sakes, I hope you know what you're doing."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter four

Mio stood thirty paces from Teal'c. The Witches of the 501st gathered behind Mio and SG-1 gathered behind Teal'c. For some reason, everyone but Teal'c and Mio were treating this as a duel.

"No holding back," Mio told Teal'c as she drew Reppumaru.

"There would be no purpose to this exercise if I were to do so," he said, spreading his feet slightly and holding his staff low.

"Yargh!" Mio yelled as she charged Teal'c, holding Reppumaru just lower than her shoulder. She thrust it right at Teal'c's chest.

Teal'c brought up his staff with surprising agility and parried her attack and knocked her in the stomach with the cobra head shaped end of the staff.

Mio grunted and swung her arm at Teal'c's head, which he blocked by taking an arm off the staff. With the staff only being held by one hand, Mio was able to push the staff into Teal'c's side and put him off balance, and then swung her leg to trip him. On his way down, Mio hit him in the side of the head with the pommel of Reppumaru.

Teal'c grabbed her wrist and threw her to the ground next to him, and then he rolled to the side, picking up his staff in the process, and got up, standing at the ready for another attack.

Mio got up and wiped the dirt from her uniform, then picked up Reppumaru. "Well done, I might have to try harder."

"Then I shall try harder also," Teal'c told her.

She smiled and charged him again, this time holding her sword to the side. She aimed for his lower torso. He tried to block her with his staff again, but he aimed too high and she ducked under it. He jumped to the side just in time to stop from being run through, though Reppumaru did cut into his jumpsuit and just deep enough across his stomach to draw blood. "Are you okay?" Mio asked.

"Hey, she was trying to kill him!" Colonel O'Neill shouted accusingly, walking from his spot observation to the fighting pair.

"I am fine, O'Neill," Teal'c said, "It is only a flesh wound." He shooed the officer away and held his staff at the ready again. "Let us continue, Major Sakamoto."

Mio grinned, "Alright." She raised her sword again, "Your turn."

"Very well," Teal'c said before charging, he thrust forward with the cobra end of the staff at Mio's abdomen. She knocked the staff away, but Teal'c used the added momentum to twirl around and smacked Mio across the face with the firing end of the staff, knocking Mio to the ground.

"Sakamoto!" Perrine yelled, about to run to Mio's side when Mio held up her hand.

"No," she pushed herself up off the ground.

"But, Major…"

"I said no!" she shouted, and then wiped the blood from the side of her mouth. She didn't look at anyone but her opponent, "That was a good hit," she complimented him, "though whether or not it was luck we will have to find out."

"I assure you it was not luck," Teal'c informed her.

* * *

"We have to put a stop to this," Perrine pleaded to Minna, and Minna agreed. Mio never shouted at Perrine.

"They're going to kill each other!" Miyafuji added.

Minna heard footsteps coming towards the Witches.

"I wouldn't worry so much about Teal'c getting out of control," Colonel O'Neill said as he approached, "But your Major looks a bit blood thirsty."

"How dare you say that," Perrine squirmed, getting up in the Colonel's face, "It's your man Teal'c that's a brute!"

"Stand down!" Minna barked at Perrine, then calmly to the Colonel, "I was about to say that same about your man. Although I agree about Major is a bit too…" Minna searched for the right word, "_enthusiastic_. But I don't know how to put a stop to this without someone getting hurt."

Colonel O'Neill removed his Zat gun from its holster, "Wing Commander Wilcke, requesting permission to shoot Major Sakamoto."

"What…?!" Just about every which but Sanya and Eila began, but Colonel O'Neill held up his hand, "Hey, calm down, it won't kill her, it'll just stun her. Like it did to the Neuroi."

"Permission denied," Minna said firmly.

"Look at them," Colonel O'Neill yelled, "she's trying to decapitate him and his blows are going to crush bone if they hit! And I can't _just_ zap Teal'c or your Major will be pissed. I'm happy to listen to any other suggestions on how to stop the fight?"

Minna grimaced, "You can promise it won't harm either of them?"

"What are you saying, Commander?!" Barkhorn spurted out, "you're going to let him shoot them?!"

"Enough!" Minna yelled at the Witches under her command. She looked at Colonel O'Neill and nodded, "Do it."

The Colonel raised the weapon and fired twice. The first shot hitting Teal'c who was closest and the second hitting Mio a half second after.

Minna waited till the Colonel had the weapon away before grabbing his collar with one hand and growling between clenched teeth, "We'll talk about this later." When she let go, she almost threw him to the ground.

* * *

Minna was in her room, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed, impatiently tapping her foot. She had ordered the Colonel to her room twenty minutes ago and he still hadn't showed up.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Minna said without looking up.

She saw the Colonel enter through the corner of her eye. She got up off the wall and stood right in front of him, hands on her hips, "What the hell was that crap earlier?"

"You mean how I managed to stop that fight without injuring anyone?" he asked with feigned surprise, "I'd call that solving the problem."

"Listen O'Neill…"

"Just call me Jack."

She pointed her finger at his face angrily, and clenched her fist at her side, "God dammit, man! These girls are young; you can't just go around shooting people like that!"

"How old are you?" he asked very calmly considering the anger that was Minna's voice.

"Eighteen," she replied as calmly as she could, which wasn't very.

"And how many years have you been serving?"

"Five."

"Well I'm fifty, and have served for about thirty of those years, so I have a _little_ more experience than you. Now I still don't understand why you have to get children to fight, but they need to be treated more like soldiers if you expect them to act like soldiers."

"But they are still kids, dammit-"

Minna was cut off by the air raid siren.

"Wait, take this," Colonel O'Neill said as Minna ran off to get in her Striker, tossing her his Zat gun. "Squeeze the handle once to deploy and squeeze again to fire."

Minna caught it with both hands, and was somewhat surprised by this sudden charity, "Uh, thanks."

* * *

Jack, not able to be of use fighting the Neuroi since it was too dark for him to see and he didn't have access to the combat information centre, had decided to go see if Teal'c and the Major were awake yet. He saw a couple of the girls on his way from the Wing Commander's room to the infirmary, and only one of them didn't give him a nasty look, Flying Officer Hartmann if Jack was remembering correctly.

When he arrived at the infirmary, he was greeted by an angry Flying Officer Clostermann, who ran to Jack with her arm outstretched, ready to slap him.

"Easy there," he said, holding his hand up to deflect the strike, "I just want to check on Teal'c and your Major.

She swung her other hand at him and shouted angrily, "You shot them! You shot Major Sakamoto!"

Jack held up his other hand to block the blow, "Hey, settle down, I didn't have much choice."

"You shot her! You shot her!" she yelled, bashing her fists on Jack's raised arms.

"Stand down!" Major Sakamoto grunted. Jack wondered exactly how long she had been awake.

"S-Sakamoto," the Fre- no, Gallian girl squealed with glee, rushing to the Fuso Witch's side.

Jack rubbed his forearms, that girl could hit hard, grumbling, "You think you could have said something earlier."

The Major ignored Jack for the moment and concentrated on Flying Officer Clostermann, "Perrine, what do you think you are doing? That man is a guest at this base."

"B-b-but he shot you," the girl blabbered.

Major Sakamoto's eyes widened in surprise, her eye patch had been removed so Jack could tell that both of them had widened, "What?" she looked at Jack, "Perhaps you can tell me what she's talking about."

Jack stood on the other side of the Major's bed from the angry Flying Officer and rolled his head from side to side, "Well… I did kind of shoot you both with the Zat gun. Your Commander and I talked it out and decided that was the safest course of action. You and Teal'c were really getting into it."

Major Sakamoto rubbed her chin, "and here I was thinking your friend had landed a good shot. I may have to ask him for another session."

Jack shook his head, "Ha, I don't think that's a good idea."

"I agree with O'Neill," Teal'c grunted from behind Jack.

Jack turned around to see his friend climbing out of bed. "Should you really be getting up, buddy?"

"I will be fine, O'Neill," Teal'c said calmly, and then looked at the Major, "I apologise for any harm I may have caused."

The Major laughed, "Not at all. I hope I didn't hurt you too much."

"I am fine. I am impressed that you awake before I after being shot with a Zat'nik'tel, you must be very strong indeed."

Jack walked over and put a hand on Flying Officer Clostermann's shoulder, "C'mon, these two need their rest. Let's get out of here."

"Get your hand off me," she growled.

Jack did a very showy bow, "I apologise your highness. I was not aware that someone had died and made you queen dick."

Flying Officer Clostermann sneered and stormed off with her nose in the air.

* * *

Minna could barely see in the darkness, and though there were lights on the side of the Strikers for such situations, Minna had ordered the Witches not to turn them on until the Neuroi had been engaged since Sanya would be capable of guiding them to the target safely.

"When we find it," Minna announced to the other Witches, Sanya, Eila and Erica, "stay back. First we identify the class, then Hartmann and I will fly in low and hit it with…" she lifted the strange alien weapon in her hands and tried to remember what Colonel O'Neill had called it, "… the Zat gun. Once we know it's disabled, Sanya and Eila will fly in and take out the core with the Fliegerhammer. With luck, this should be no more than a five minute job."

"Yes, ma'am," Eila answered for her and Sanya.

Minna looked at Erica who nodded.

After another minute, Sanya said, "Neuroi ahead small blimp class." The blimp class of Neuroi was named so for its resemblance to a blimp, however that was where the similarities ended. It was a new and increasingly more common form in Romagnan airspace, and in some cases was more dangerous than the high speed and stingray classes that were also regularly deployed.

"We'll take point from here," Minna told Sanya and Eila, leading Erica ahead of the pair. "Lights out until it fires on us."

"Yes, ma'am."

The moment after the Witches answered, the Neuroi spotted them and opened fire. The witches turned on their Strikers' lights and Minna shouted to Erica, "Cover me with a Sturm!" Sturm was Erica's power. She did a barrel role and channelled magical energy into the atmosphere around her that could cause harm to anything around her. It somewhat resembled a tornado.

With the Neuroi distracted by Erica, Minna raised the Zat gun and pointed it at the enemy vessel, and squeezed the handle once to activate, and again to fire.

The Neuroi seemed to ignore the shot.

Minna recalled the debriefings with Yoshika, Lynette and Perrine, all three of them mentioning that it had taken many shots from four different weapons before the Neuroi went down. With the stingray class being larger than the small blimp class they currently faced, Minna fired again. And again, and again. When the Neuroi finally went down, Minna figured she had fired roughly thirty shots.

"Now, Sanya!" Minna shouted, "The Fliegerhammer!"

Nine rockets streaked down from above. The first few destroying enough of the hull to reveal the Core, and the seventh destroying the Core. The eighth damaged the disintegrating hull enough to allow the ninth rocket to bust through without exploding, only to crash into the surface of the ocean below and detonate on impact.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter five

Minna was the last to fly into the hanger after the engagement, and while the other three Witches were walking to their respective rooms for some rest, the Karlslander was only just landing her Striker.

"Need any help?" Colonel O'Neill asked as Minna was dismounting her Strikers, making the woman jump and fall to the hanger floor a good four feet below her. "Ooh, sorry." He jumped down and held his hand out to help her up.

"Thanks," she grumbled as she took his hand and he pulled her up.

"I take it everything went well? From what I hear these things normally take longer."

"Yes. The weapon was a resounding success. I think I may have Erica's sister come down to examine one… if that's okay with you?"

He held up his hands, "Oh, by all means. Why don't you keep that one? I think we may have one or two spares with the rest of our equipment anyway."

"Thank you, Colonel. If you'll excuse me though, it's late and I need to rest."

* * *

Daniel was rifling through books in the library while an angry Flying Officer Clostermann sat at the table, upset. For some reason Daniel was the only member of SG-1 that the Gallian could tolerate. Daniel wasn't sure why, or much care at that time. There was so much history to catch up on.

"So for how long have you guys know about the Neuroi?" Daniel asked while flipping through a book about Romagnan history.

"Me personally?" the blond girl asked, lifting her head off the table. It was late and she must have been tired. "I'd read about them, but never taken it seriously until a few years ago when they attacked."

Daniel put the book down, leaving it open so he doesn't lose his page, "I've been meaning to ask about that. Exactly what happened when the Neuroi appeared? As far as anyone's told me, they just arrived out of nowhere and started destroying everything."

"That's exactly what did happen," Flying Officer Clostermann answered sternly, "Just arrived out of nowhere and started killing."

Daniel sat across the desk from the girl and put his hands on the table. "You don't mind if I just call you Perrine do you? I'm not even in the military after all."

She gave him a puzzled look, but nodded.

"Well, there has to be more to it than that. You have no idea where they came from, what they want, anything?"

Perrine stood up and cleared her throat, "The Neuroi come in a variety of classes and sizes, with both ground and air forces. The only way to permanently kill one is to destroy its Core. The red beams fired from the same coloured hexagons will disintegrate anything they touch. The Neuroi air forces come from the spiral shaped hives that hover above the various countries, however the origins of the land based Neuroi are unknown. There are rumours about the origins of the Neuroi in Africa, but these are mostly unconfirmed. This is all I know, so please stop asking questions."

Daniel blinked and then pushed his own glasses up a bit. "Uh, okay, thankyou." He got up, picked up the book on Romagnan history, and turned his back to Perrine, who was now resting her head on the table again. After a moment, he turned back around, "I don't suppose there are any books about these Neuroi in Africa?"

"How should I know that?!" she burst out, "this isn't my library!"

"Oh, um, sorry, I just thought-"

"Thought what?"

"Oh, nothing." Daniel quickly turned around and went back to his reading.

* * *

Shirley stretched her arms and yawned as she walked to her 'workshop' part of the hanger. It was too early for breakfast to be prepared, and normally Shirley would wait till at least then to get up. But, Major Carter had asked if they could get up early so Shirley had thought it best to get up and clean things up a little before the Major arrived.

Shirley heard a rummaging in her workshop as she walked in and found Major Carter looking at some of the components of a dismantled magical engine.

"Oh, Lieutenant Yeager, sorry," she said quickly, looking up from her work, "I couldn't sleep so I decided to come back here."

"Just call me Shirley, Sam," Shirley told her as she scratched her head and yawned again, "and I don't mind as long as you keep it relatively clean."

Sam smiled, "Trust me, I don't work in a messy workshop."

"So what are you working on?" Shirley asked, picking up a strange rock near the dismantled engine.

Sam turned back towards the engine, "I'm just trying to get a better understanding of the engine before I try and jury rig a Naquadah plant for it."

"A what plant? I don't see what foliage has to do with anything," Shirley told Sam offhandedly.

Sam laughed quietly and sat back on her feet, "Naquadah is the element the Gate is made up of. It's a highly conductive, highly dense material. My hope is that I can rig up a Naquadah generator small enough to replace the magic engines in these Strikers, making them usable for regular people rather than just Witches. I'm telling you, this could turn the tide in our fight against the Goa'uld." Sam sat back up and resumed her work.

Shirley wanted to ask what a Gate was as well, but fearing another lengthy explanation, decided against it.

"So these Neuroi beams," Sam began, "they destroy everything?"

"Yup," Shirley answered with a nod, jumping atop a crate so that she had somewhere to sit "Everything 'cept our shields."

Sam sat back and rubbed her chin, muttering, "I see," and then she went back to her work. "If you don't mind, I would like to run some tests on a shield."

"What sort of tests," Shirley asked with another yawn, it was way too early for her.

"Ballistic, chemical, radio, just about anything I can think of really. I might have to get Daniel to help me with a few, but we might get some insight as to what they're made from."

Shirley couldn't help but laugh, "I told you that yesterday, they're made by magical energy focussed by the shield projector."

"I'm afraid I still don't accept that explanation," Sam told Shirley, "I've met plenty of cultures whose 'magic' just turned out to be tricks and technology. So, about the tests?"

Shirley shrugged, "Sure, why not."

After another hour or so of talking, Shirley jumped off the crate and said, "Why don't we go get something to eat, breakfast should be ready by now."

Sam got up and wiped some sweat from her brow, "Yeah, why not."

* * *

Jack walked into the dining hall ready to eat whatever was put in front of him, even if it was that strange Japanese food again. He was starving for some reason.

"Good morning, sir," Sam greeted as she and Shirley walked in at the same time as him.

"Ladies," he replied with a smile, letting them get to the food first.

"Good morning, Colonel," Major Sakamoto said over a cup of tea as Jack took a gamble and sat at the Witches end of the table. There had been no order or decree that the Witches and SG-1 had to sit at separate ends of the table, it had just sort of happened the other night, so Jack wanted to test the waters a little bit.

"Good morning, Major," he replied with a slight grin, "have a good sleep?"

"I did, thank you for asking. Was there something you needed?"

Jack flinched back as if he'd been hit, "That hurts, Major. I just figure since we might be staying here awhile I might as well try and break the awkwardness between SG-1 and you Witches."

Major Sakamoto leaned back and put a hand on chin while crossing the other over her chest, "That would be the logical thing, wouldn't it. This approach may work with a couple of the girls, but I'm afraid this is a fairly tight nit group, and some of the girls may… _will_ not be responsive to this approach. You may want to be a bit less straight forward."

"It's working for you though?" Jack inquired around the gruel he was shovelling into his mouth.

"I'm a soldier who prefers the straight forward," she stated, "Most of these girls aren't."

"Everyone's like that at first."

"The Major is right," Commander Wilcke said from behind Jack, making him jump, just before sitting down next to him with a slight grin on her face, "these girls just aren't around men that often and as such will be nervous around them. Let them go to you, don't go to them, it'll be better for both parties."

Jack looked at her sideways and returned to his meal, "If you way so."

* * *

Daniel was looking at a world map that Sanya had found for him in the library. It was midday and Sanya's turn to keep an eye on him, and as Daniel had discovered, anywhere Sanya was, Eila would also soon be. Unlike the other members of SG-1, Daniel was on a first name basis with almost all the Witches by now, mostly because he wasn't military like them.

"Do you have any pens, pencils, something I can draw with?" Daniel asked quickly, an idea coming to him.

"Um," Eila looked at him in surprise, "sure, I'll just go get some."

She left and returned a moment later with wooden box of pencils, "Here."

"Tanks," Daniel said as he took the pencils, "is it okay if I draw on this map?"

"Sure," Sanya said without lifting her head from her pillow. Sanya was often put on night watch and so slept during the day, bringing a pillow with her when she had to leave her room.

"What are you doing?" Eila asked as she curiously peered at the lines Daniel was marking.

"I am drawing the countries that were around during the 1945 of my dimension."

"Wow," a wide eyed Eila said, "there sure are a lot of them."

"Yep," Daniel said just as he finished marking all the countries, and then began naming them.

"So, are there really no Neuroi where you come from?" Eila asked after a moment of silence, "Even during your 1945?"

"Nothing like that, instead we've got Goa'uld, and I'm not sure if them or the Neuroi are worse. As far as my 1945 goes, we were in World War Two at that time, something you folk have been lucky enough to avoid."

"World War Two?" Sanya said, lifting her head from the pillow.

"Um, yes, it was a very bloody war involving just about every country on the planet. The worst of it was the Nazi regime lead by AdolfHitler, from here," Daniel pointed to Germany/Karlsland, "who wanted to take over Europe."

"What happened to Orussia?" the grey haired girl asked.

"Yeah, and Suomus?" Eila added.

"Well, Orussia, which is just Russia in my time, was the Soviet Union, which was on the Allied side of the war. It was a communist state made up of several different countries. Suomus," Daniel pointed at Suomus/Finland, "was part of the Axis powers, though that was more to protect themselves against Communism than following Hitler's ideals."

"So… we were… enemies?" a horrified Eila asked; a look of horror crossing Sanya's face too.

"Ah, I don't think you existed in my universe," Daniel told them slowly.

"Wh- what?!" Eila exclaimed, "We didn't exist?!"

"Not as you are now, anyway. In all likelihood, you two would have been hidden in basements, away from the battle. Children weren't used for fighting in my dimension."

"What was this… Nazi regime?" Sanya asked, burying her head back in her pillow, muffling her voice slightly.

"Well," Daniel sat across from the two Witches, "The Nazis were a socialist political party founded by AdolfHitler. Their ideals were that Aryans – blue eyes, blond hair – were the 'master race' and basically they should rule the world. He conducted purges and put 'unfavourable' people in work and concentration camps, where they were worked, starved and killed."

"That's horrible," Eila said, jumping back a little in her seat, "was he stopped?"

"Yes, he was, sort of. When the Soviets had taken Berlin, he poisoned his wife and his dog, and then shot himself."

"Serves him right," Eila huffed, crossing her arms.

"Who were the unfavourable people?" Sanya asked from her pillow.

Daniel began counting them off on his fingers, "Um, Jewish people were the most prominent, but there were also gypsies, mentally disabled, physically disabled, social and political dissidents, homosexuals-"

"They killed homosexuals?!" Both girls exclaimed at once, standing and bashing their hands on the table.

"Perhaps we should drop the subject," Daniel suggested, quickly rolling up the map and stuffing it away.

"I'm going to talk with Barkhorn," Eila told him before storming off.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter six

Jack was on his way back to his room from the room all of SG-1's gear was held, when he encountered an angry Wing Commander Wilcke. She looked at the M9 on his hip and raised an eye brow, "What are you doing with that?"

Jack shrugged, "Well you took my sidearm, so I had to get another. There weren't anymore Zat guns so I had to settle for a Beretta."

"I afraid I'll have to ask you to put that back," she told him firmly, "You're still not entirely trusted here, so you can't have that weapon."

"But you're armed?" Jack retorted, "And this trust thing has to go both ways. If you're going to be carrying a weapon then it's only fair that me and mine can too."

The Commander pinched the top of her nose in frustration, "Fine, we can talk about it later, right now there's something I need to talk to you about… in private."

Jack looked up and down the hall, "We're alone now."

"Just follow me," she ordered, leading him back down the hall.

Jack had suspected her to lead him to her office, but instead took him to her bedroom. "Um, why are we here?"

"The walls are thicker," she replied in monotone, "harder for people to eavesdrop."

"Is this top secret?"

Her face suddenly grew a lot angrier, "What the hell did Jackson say to Eila?!"

"What? How should I know, he's been locked up in that library all day, I haven't seen him since breakfast." Jack began to get a little suspicious, "Why do you ask?"

Commander Wilcke sighed, and sat on her bed, "About half an hour ago, Eila walked up to Barkhorn in the hanger and demanded to know about some sort of party. Barkhorn said she didn't know anything about any party and Eila slapped her. It took Shirley, Major Sakamoto, Major Carter and Teal'c to restrain the two."

Jack sighed, "I'll have a talk with Daniel." _It'd be just like him to tell them something that'd cause trouble_.

"You need to keep a rein on your people," the Commander said firmly.

"Like you're doing with yours?"

"My people were fine until yours came along," she growled, jumping up from her perch on the bed.

Jack met her stare, "Likewise."

"This is my base; you got that, you are guests-"

"And we have the superior technology!"

"We've gotten by fine without your technology, and we could continue to do so!"

"Yeah, but with how many more casualties?! I may not know much but I know damn well the death toll for this war has been high, and will only continue to rise unless it's put to a stop soon. Unlike you, we have the technology and the knowhow to use it."

The Commander sighed and fell onto her bad, "You're right, you're right. I should try and be more trusting of you since you and your team are putting all your faith in us."

"Aw, I wouldn't put it like that. We are getting Striker technology from you after all." Jack said, taking a seat at the end of the bed. "It's not like we're giving stuff away."

"I haven't exactly tried to make your stay hospitable though, Colonel. I think the war is starting to take its toll on even me."

"It's Jack, not Colonel. We aren't from the same armies, so there's no need for titles. Hell, I'm not even from this time."

Commander Wilcke chuckled a little, "You are something different, aren't you, Jack? If you're going to be like that, then I suppose it's only fair that you call me Minna."

Jack sat on the end of the bed and stared at the wall, "Is it normally this eventful here?"

"No, it had been fairly quiet until you showed up. And I've been on a short fuse because of it."

"Commanding officer is a stressful job, especially in wartimes. You tried physical activity?"

Jack turned to see Minna sitting up on her elbows and giving him a quizzical look, "what do you mean "physical activity"?"

"You know, to relieve the stress. Doesn't matter what you do, just something physical that doesn't require too much thinking."

Minna shrugged, "Why not." She pushed herself off the bed and stretched her arms, "any particular activity you think I should do?"

Jack thought about this for a moment. "Sit ups with some punches are good exercise, helps you out if you have to hit someone later. Unless you want to jog on the spot?"

The Karlslander smiled slightly, "I think I'll do the sit ups."

She sat on the ground and put her hands up near her head, and then gave Jack a somewhat angry and questioning look when he stood on the ends of her feet. "What are you doing?"

"You gotta have an anchor when you do sit ups, and unless you want to stick your feet under a cupboard and punch that, I'll be on your feet."

She shook her head and muttered, "You are an odd man, Jack."

"I wouldn't say that, a little bit on the crazy side maybe, but not odd," he smiled as she began doing sit ups, punching Jack's outstretched hands. She could hit surprisingly hard.

"Crazy?" she asked between breaths.

"Yeah, you have to be a certain kind of crazy to join the Special Forces, and an extra special kind of crazy to join the Stargate program."

"You know… I've been thinking… this Stargate program is… top secret, yes? … Won't you… get in trouble… for talking about it?"

Jack pursed his lips in thought, "Perhaps, but given the circumstances, I don't think Hammond will mind."

"Hammond?"

"He's my boss." Jack caught Minna's hand as she came up for another two punches, "That should be enough for now, I'm sure you have things to do."

Jack made his way to the door but Minna stopped him by grabbing his shoulder, "Don't tell anyone about this stress thing, alright, the last thing that this place needs is the others thinking their Commander can't handle it."

Jack said, "Relax, I can keep a secret," and left.

* * *

Minna shook her head, exercising to relieve stress, was an interesting concept to say the least. And she had probably hurt his hands when she hit him, she sometimes forgot how much stronger Witches were from regular people. "Maybe I shouldn't have hit so hard," she muttered to herself before leaving. As she left the room, she noticed that her hair and uniform were a bit messy and creased and straightened them up, before proceeding down the hall to talk with Mio.

* * *

FrancescaLucchini, the youngest member of the Strike Witches at the age of 13, peered around the corner at Commander Minna's room door. A few moments ago she had been passing by when she heard some strange noises coming from the Commander's room. She had weighed up her options, and decided the best course of action was to hide behind the corner of the hall and wait for someone to come out. What she had not expected, was for Colonel O'Neill to come out, a slight swagger to his step.

Francesca moved slowly down the hall to check on the Commander's room, to make sure the Colonel hadn't stolen anything, when the Commander came out without any warning. Francesca hid in a nearby doorway as best she could, watching the Commander.

The Karlslander's hair was messy, and her clothes had been wrinkled. She straightened them and continued on her way. The Commander seemed almost happy, which was very unlike when SG-1 had  
first arrived, and even before then.

Strange, the Commander never let anyone into her room… Francesca covered her mouth to keep a gasp silent. "Did they…?" she concealed another gasp, and shook her head, "no…" She ran off, muttering to herself, "I have to talk to Shirley!"

* * *

"Daniel!" Jack shouted as he burst into the library, awakening Flying Officer Litvyak, "What did you tell that Juutilainen girl, she bloody attacked Barkhorn?!"

"Ah, I, uh, was just telling them about the Nazis and…" Daniel blabbered, only to be cut off by Jack.

"Why the hell did you tell her that?! Dammit, Daniel, even I can see that Flying Officer Juutilainen does not think everything through! I mean for Christ's sake, man, she attacked Barkhorn, a full on fist fight. This is the same Barkhorn that can get really, really strong." As much as Jack thought the Witches possessing magical powers preposterous, he couldn't deny their existence, or their usefulness in some cases. "It took Sam, Teal'c, Shirley, and the Major to stop the two of them."

"They just asked some questions, so I answered. I didn't think it would do any harm."

"Just don't let it happen again," Jack ordered, "the Commander'll have my ass."

"You won't have to tell me twice," Daniel said, shaking his head and returning to his studies.

"Ei… Eila… is Eila…" Flying Officer Litvyak tried to get out, worry painting her face, "Is Eila… hurt?"

Jack smiled, he'd always found delicacy works best when dealing with kids, "I'm not sure, but I can go check if you want. I'd hate for you to be charged with dereliction of duty."

"Th-thank you," she shy girl said before yawning and burying her head in her pillow.

* * *

"What is that?!" Shirley exclaimed as Sam took one of the Barrett M82s plus one magazine and half pound of C4 from the room where all of SG-1's equipment was stored. "It's huge!"

"A fifty calibre rifle," Sam answered with a smile as she handed Shirley the weapon, magazine and the plastic explosive, "luckily it uses the same ammo as the Browning M2s, so we could use it to test your shields." Sam went back into the room to fetch some more equipment.

"Well what's this C4 stuff?" Shirley asked from outside the room.

"It's a plastic explosive."

"Like Composition B?"

Sam came out of the room carrying a laser designator and a thermal sight, "Yep, now come, we got a lot of work to do."

The two began their walk back to the hanger. "By the way," Sam asked, "are you sure it's okay to do this?"

"Sure," the orange haired girl answered with a smile, "the Commander lets me do lots of stuff in there, I see no reason why this should be any different."

"You're not filling me with confidence," Sam said with a hint of scorn.

"Likewise," Shirley noted, "considering you plan on blowing me up."

"If what you claim about your shields is true, then you should be fine."

"Should?"

"If something goes wrong, Sergeant Miyafuji can patch you up."

"For some reason," Shirley said with the same smart ass voice as Jack used, "that doesn't make me feel any better."

"You're over thinking it."

"Said the woman who _isn't_ being shot and blown up."

They walked into the hanger where a spare Striker awaited. They had been issued quite a number of spare Strikers after Commander Wilcke heard about what they are trying to do, though she didn't know about the ballistics testing.

"So what device of death will I have to deal with first?" Shirley inquired as she put down the equipment she was carrying for Sam.

"I was thinking the laser designator first," Sam said, walking over to the measuring equipment that she and Shirley had set up earlier, about an hour after the Juutilainen/Barkhorn incident.

While Sam was doing some last minute checks on the hastily assembled electronics under one of the terminals, she heard someone sprinting into the hanger.

The out of breath person panted, "Shirley… Shirley… Shirley… there's… the Commander… Colonel O'Neill…"

"Just hold on a second," the Liberian told who Sam could now recognise as Pilot Officer Lucchini, "I can't understand a thing you're trying to tell me. Take a couple of deep  
breaths."

Sam heard a thud and looked up to see Pilot Officer Lucchini on the ground, arms and legs spread. The Major wiped her hands on a greasy rag and stood next to Shirley, looking down on the exhausted girl. "Does she normally do this?"

Shirley shook her head, "No, the only time she ever runs anywhere is for food or to get away from training. There isn't any training scheduled and dinner is still some time away, so I wonder what could have gotten her so worked up?"

Sam kneeled down to speak to the girl, "You mentioned something about Colonel O'Neill?"

"An… and the Commander." Pilot Officer Lucchini replied, taking two more deep breaths and sitting up, "I think they're seeing each other."

"What?" Shirley and Sam said at the same time, mimicking each other's wide eyed expression.

Pilot Officer Lucchini nodded vigorously, "Mm-hmm. I saw the Colonel leaving the Commander's room, after hearing some strange noises and then the Commander left and her uniform was a mess. I think…" she trailed off and looked around to check if anyone was around, "…I think they…" she made a gesture with her hands.

Shirley looked at Sam, "Would the Colonel…?"

Sam shook her head. "Would your Commander…?"

Shirley also shook her head.

"They must have been something else," Sam said, somewhat doubting her own words, but still having faith in the Jack.

"Like what?" Flying Officer Lucchini wondered aloud.

"We'll figure it out later, now let's do these tests," Sam told the pair and Shirley groaned.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter seven

"No way," Eila scoffed when Francesca told her and Barkhorn about the Colonel and Commander. The two were under orders to stay in the hospital beds, though Francesca figured it was more as a punishment. The Commander could come up with some strange punishments at times.

"I agree," Barkhorn said, crossing her arms, "this is preposterous. I have known the Commander for a very long time and there's no way she would do such a thing."

"Okay then," Francesca grinned, "what were they doing?"

Barkhorn opened her mouth to say something, and then closed it.

Eila cupped her chin, "Hmm…"

Francesca waited for a full minute before jumping up, crossing her arms, pointing her nose in the air and saying, "See, I told you. It's what they have to have been doing."

* * *

The air raid siren blared and Jack continued on his hunt for Teal'c. He hadn't seen him in some time and needed to talk about the incident with Major Sakamoto.

Minna ran past him and grabbed his arm, saying, "Come with me."

The Karlslander led Jack through the halls and up at a dead run, until they finally arrived at the CIC.

"How many are there?" Minna asked the Major who was already there, looking at the radar readout.

"Twenty one," the other woman replied calmly, handing the Commander the readout, "five large, two of whom are suspected to be blimp class with the other three being fuselage class. There are eight medium sized stingray class, and the rest are light reconnaissance class." As far as Jack could tell, the Neuroi class designation was as simple as what they looked like, so he suspecter the double hull looked like two plane fuselages connected somehow, recon though, he had no idea.

"We only engaged one last night, there shouldn't be any more around here," Minna mused. "How far out are they?"

"Seventy clicks to the north, north east, hugging the coastline."

"They're changing tactics," Minna said under her breath, then to Jack and Major Sakamoto, "Alright, Major, get everyone in the air. Jack, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on things, keep us in the know about the Neuroi forces."

"Hold on, Minna," Jack said, raising a hand, "Let me and my team help. We've got superior weapons and could take out at least half that force."

"You have an idea?" the Major asked.

"You said they're hugging the coast, and it's mostly cliffs north of here, yes? If you could get us in the right spot, we could hit them with the Stingers and then get to work with the Barretts, while you get to work with the Zat guns and your usual equipment; catch them in a crossfire."

"What are these Stingers and Barretts?" the Major asked while the Commander just looked at Jack.

"Stingers are guided rocket launchers and the Barretts are anti-material rifles."

"Okay," Minna said, rolling out a large map with the base in the centre and marked the Neuroi's current position, "where do you want your people?"

* * *

Perrine examined the alien weapon for what seemed like the twentieth time as she and Lynne flew into position. Personally, the Gallian thought it was preposterous that they were following a plan concocted by Colonel O'Neill's mind, but she followed the orders she was given, and the Commander had ordered everyone to follow the plan. Colonel O'Neill and his team were lying in wait a short ways back from the cliffs, and were going to attack the Neuroi with their advanced weapons as soon as they came into their range. From there, the Witches would also engage the Neuroi.

Perrine was still wondering why she had been issued one of the Zat guns, especially seeing as how her wingman was a long range fighter, and while she did not doubt Teal'c's claim that the Zat gun would have the same range as Lynne's Boys anti-armour rifle, but being like a handgun and not having any sights, she doubted her ability to hit anything with it. If the chance arose, she would give it to either Shirley or Lucchini, since they were one wing that didn't have one and Perrine and Lynne were the one group that wouldn't be getting close enough to the Neuroi to use one.

"Lynne, Perrine?" Yoshika shouted as she flew over to the pair. Yoshika, being the odd one out, was going to going to go wherever help was needed most. In today's case it would most likely be to heal the wounded SG-1, assuming that they didn't just die. Sure, Perrine had helped them take down a medium stingray class before, but that was a single Neuroi against three Witches and four soldiers. Now the odds were in the Neuroi's favour.

"What is it, Yoshika?" Lynne asked.

"The Commander wants to know why you haven't answered your radio," Yoshika told them, "she's been trying to contact you."

"She has?" Perrine said with surprise, and then took the communicator. It looked normal. Perrine looked up to see Lynne doing the same.

"Is something wrong?" Yoshika asked, unable to disguise the concern in her voice.

Perrine tapped the communicator a couple of times and put it back in her ear. "Testing, testing, testing, are you reading me, Commander?"

There was no response.

Perrine looked at Lynne, "Yours working?"

Lynne shook her head, "No."

"Commander," Yoshika said into her own radio, "their radios aren't working… Commander…?" she shook her head, "Now mine isn't working."

"Better go back," Perrine told Yoshika, "maybe we're out of range or something. Keep trying to hail them as you go."

"Yes, ma'am," Yoshika said, flying off.

"We should at least leave the communicators on in case they start working again," Perrine told Lynne, "if not, we still follow the plan."

"Got it," Lynne nodded, shouldering her rifle.

Perrine checked that her Bren wouldn't fall off her back if she had to start taking evasive action.

After a minute, Lynne said, "I can see the Neuroi."

Perrine squinted, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand; she could only just make them out.

Yoshika flew up to them again, "The communicator's aren't working for anyone. Commander says to follow the plan."

"Where are you going?" Lynne asked when Yoshika went to fly off again.

"I have to go tell the others that communications are down."

"Yoshika, wait," Perrine said, preventing Yoshika from leaving a second time. She threw the Fuso Witch the Zat gun, "Take this, you'll have more opportunity to use it than I would."

"Uh, thanks," Yoshika said, a little bit surprised by Perrine's actions. She then flew off to follow her orders.

_At least I'm rid of that wretched thing_, Perrine though, getting her Bren off her shoulder. Unlike usual, she was not using a 30 round box magazine, but rather a 100 round pan magazine, she did however have three spare box magazines for when the pan magazine was empty. That was the limit to what she could carry though. Lynne on the other hand was capable of carrying more, but she usually did not need to manoeuvre as much as the other Witches, so she carried more than her Striker's recomended weight limit anyway.

The Neuroi grew closer by the second.

"With these new weapons, this battle should be quick," Perrine commented, pulling back the bolt to chamber a .303 round into her rifle.

Lynne just nodded. When she concentrated on a battle, she would speak very little.

Once the Neuroi were about 750m from SG-1, and 1300m from the Witches, three rockets streaked up from the forest near the cliffs, catching the Neuroi off guard as they would have been preparing for the attack from the south east, where the Witches were, not below them and to the west, where SG-1 were. The rockets hit a medium stingray class each, penetrating and destroying each of their Cores.

As soon as the rockets impacted, the Witches moved in to assault the flotilla. All except Perrine and Lynne, they simply moved close enough for Lynne to be in range and then hovered there while Lynne picked off the Neuroi that tried to break away.

One of the medium sized Neuroi broke off, a strange new model that was triangular in form. Lynne fired at it, but her bullets did little damage. Several bright yellow energy blasts came from the forest, hitting the triangular craft and destroying half the hull on one side, revealing the core.

Perrine saw Lynne's face grow hard as she loaded a fresh magazine into her rifle, pushed the bolt forward, aimed, and fired.

The core shattered, the Neuroi disintegrating.

"…ver my left!" Barkhorn shouted through the radio.

"I got 'em!" Shirley responded.

"Radio is back up," Perrine quickly said, "I repeat, radio is back up."

* * *

"Radio is back up," Perrine had said quickly as Shirley did a barrel role over the final large blimp class Neuroi, narrowly dodging its beams, "I repeat, radio is back up."

_Excellent_, Shirley thought, meeting back up with her wingman, Lucchini, on the other side to the large blimp class Neuroi. "O'Neill, hit this big thing with your Stingers!" she shouted into her radio.

A moment later two rockets streaked out of the forest, one of them narrowly missing Lucchini. They hit the blimp class Neuroi, but didn't destroy it.

"That was the last of the rockets," Colonel O'Neill called over the radio.

"You heard him," Shirley told her wingman without looking at her, "let's get another kill to our name."

Shirley almost came to a complete stop as she and Lucchini turned about to turn their weapons on the Neuroi. Although they didn't know where the Core was precisely, they had enough ammo to figure it out. The pair opened fire, picking separate sections of the hull to target.

Unfortunately for the Neuroi, all of the red hexagons it fired from on the underside of the beast had been destroyed, and all the smaller Neuroi that would normally be tasked with defending it were preoccupied by the rest of the 501st. It was completely defenceless against the Witches' attack. Within moments, Lucchini's Breda-SAFAT located and destroyed the Core with a barrage of 12.7mm HEIT rounds.

"Another one for me," Lucchini grinned at Shirley as the pair flew through the cloud of white hot debris that was the disintegrating Neuroi, shields deflecting the dangerous particles.

"The hell it is," Shirley growled with indignation, "that's a shared kill, one for both of us."

* * *

"Did anyone else notice the Neuroi that looked like a shuttle?" Sam asked after the battle, referring to the triangular Neuroi that Teal'c had damaged with his staff weapon and Flight Sergeant Bishop had finished off. SG-1 had gathered near the cliff's edge to await a pickup.

"Yeah, I thought it looked familiar," Jack said, sitting on a nearby rock after putting his Stinger and Barrett in a duffle bag. Even though the Stingers had used up all the missiles, it was best not to leave equipment from the future just lying about for anyone to find. "Question is, what was it doing here?"

"Well, maybe the Goa'uld were defeated by the Neuroi in this universe and assimilated their designs," Daniel offered. Both Jack and Sam gave Daniel a questioning look and Teal'c gave him his trademark raised eyebrow. "Well, you see, from what I've been able to uncover from the library, the Neuroi are capable of assimilating technology from other cultures and races. There are few recorded instances of this, one of the best of which being an incident in Africa where a large land based Neuroi used a battleship hull as its armour."

"So, the Goa'uld aren't going to be a problem in this universe?" Jack asked dryly, "well isn't that great?!"

"Not exactly, sir," Sam said, "who knows how dangerous these Neuroi are if they managed to defeat the Goa'uld."

"You ready?" Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn asked as she flew down with Flying Officers Hartmann, Juutilainen and Litvyak in tow. They were SG-1's ride, as odd as that seemed.

Jack got up and lifted his duffle bag of weapons, saying to his team, "Final boarding call for Air Barkhorn."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

It had been about an hour after SG-1 had helped defeat the Neuroi coming to presumably attack the 501st's base, and Minna was doing paper work in her office like she normally did right after a mission unlike the rest of the Witches who took to the bath, she thought it prudent to get the mission reports done while it was still fresh. Unlike usual, there was a knock at her door.

Suspecting it was just a member of SG-1, most likely JackO'Neill, the Karlslander sighed and called out, "Enter!" She didn't much feel like entertaining the Colonel at the moment.

She was surprised to see Erica enter. She was even more surprised that Erica had knocked at all, it wasn't that the care free ace was rude, just simply too casual. "Excuse me, Commander…?"

Minna just about fell off her chair, _manners as well? The world must have been ending_. "Yes, Erica?"

Erica walked up to the desk and stood at attention in front of the desk and saluted.

_Maybe she lost a bet, that has to be it_.

"Ma'am, requesting permission to throw a party," the blond said without a moments hesitation.

Minna blinked and moved back in her chair, muttering under breath, "What?"

"I would like to throw a party… ma'am," Erica repeated, probably thinking Minna had been asking a direct question.

"Um…" Minna wasn't quite sure how to react, "for what, exactly?"

"I believe it would be appropriate to commemorate SG-1's first Core kill. And seeing as how they are not recognised by any government, or even of this time, I think a party is the most appropriate honour."

Minna rubbed her chin with one hand and twirled a pen in her other. "Okay."

Erica's turn to blink. After another second, Erica threw her hands in the air and spun around on the spot, yelling with glee and shouting at the door with index finger extended, "I told you it would work, Trude!"

_I see_, Minna though, _well played, Erica, well played_. "So you are involved in this conspiracy as well?" the Commanding officer teased.

"What…?!" Trude began as she stormed into the room, a fist clenched and being waved in front of her face, before she remembered she was stalking to a superior officer and straightened up. "I mean, we weren't conspiring, ma'am, we were… uh…"

Minna crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and smiled, "Relax, Trude, I'm just teasing. Concerning the party however, the earliest we can fit it in is this Friday."

Erica's grin didn't fade, and a slight one touched Trude's lips, "Thank you, Ma'am."

"Next time, just ask, okay? None of this horseplay," Minna added, getting back to her paperwork and dismissing her countrymen.

* * *

"Did you hear?" Yoshika said to Lynne as she cut some vegetables for the day's dinner, "about Minna and Colonel O'Neill?"

"I haven't heard anything about them," Lynne commented as she too cut vegetables.

Yoshika leaned over conspiratorially, so that she could whisper without the other two Witches within earshot, Lucchini and Hartmann, hearing, "I heard that they were in a relationship."

"You mean… a romantic relationship?" Lynne asked, also whispering.

Yoshika nodded.

"I can't believe it," Lynne muttered.

"I couldn't believe at first either," Hartmann chimed in, both her and Lucchini now leaning on the counter, resting their chins on their laced fingers.

Both Yoshika and Lynne jumped. They had been so preoccupied with their gossiping that they hadn't noticed the pair sneaking up on them. "Please, don't do that," Yoshika pleaded as she put a hand over her quickly beating heart.

"It doesn't make sense," Lynne muttered, shaking her head, "it-it's just not like the Commander."

"I think it makes perfect sense," Hartmann said with a cheeky grin, "they're always spending so much time together, and the Commander has seemed less stressed since they started spending time together." She shrugged, "what else could they be doing."

* * *

Jack straightened his BDU as best he could before knocking on the door to Minna's office.

"Come in," a muffled voice said from the other side.

"Evening, Min," he greeted Minna, using the nickname he had issued her.

She raised her eyebrow in a not dissimilar fashion to Teal'c, "Min?"

"Yeah, like a nickname, short for Minna," Jack elaborated, walking to the desk, "You know, me and the team are starting to smell a bit, so you think you could set aside a time for us to use the showers?"

"Oh? Yes, of course. That would only be fair, wouldn't it? Is there any particular time you had your eye on?"

"Oh, I was thinking dealer's choice," Jack shrugged.

"You can have the baths between the hours of nine and ten thirty, AM and PM. Sound fair?"

"That seams reasonable enough."

Jack turned to leave and Major Sakamoto stuck her head through the door, and then walked in, saying "Good, you're both here."

"Are we in trouble?" Jack asked with his usual dry, sarcastic tone.

Major Sakamoto stood at the end of the table so that she could look at both Minna and Jack with equal ease, "I've been hearing some disturbing rumours."

"This can't be good," Jack muttered, taking a seat on the edge of the table. Minna gave him a stern look, so he got off and settled for simply crossing his arms.

"What are these rumours, Major?" Minna asked.

Major Sakamoto crossed her arms, "That you two are… in a relationship."

"What do you mean…?" Jack began, and then he realised what he she meant, "Wait, like going out sort of relationship?" he waved his finger between himself and Minna.

Minna jumped up from his seat, "You think…?" she too waved her finger between the two, and then shook her head vigorously, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

Jack gave her an insulted look, "_Seventeen_ 'no's?"

"I never said I believed these rumours," Major Sakamoto responded, "However, I think they should be addressed."

"Damn right they should be addressed," Jack said, only just managing not to yell.

"No," Minna said calmly. Jack looked at Minna who was shaking her head with her chin cupped in one hand, the other spinning the pen again. He was about to open his mouth when she spoke again, "We could use this."

"Use?" Major Sakamoto asked, reminding Jack slightly of Teal'c. _Perhaps that's why those two get along so well_.

"What are you talking about?" Jack demanded.

Minna sat down, put her crossed legs up on the desk, and tapped her fingertips together in a fashion that Jack would associate with an evil villain plotting, "If the others want to think we are in relationship, we will use it to our advantage. Teach them a lesson, if you will. Well then, Jack, I recall you saying that you were 'a special kind of crazy', so are you prepared for a little operation?"

Jack sat on the edge of the desk, "I don't like where this is going."

"I don't much like it either," Major Sakamoto admitted.

"Au contraire, this'll be right up your ally, Major," Minna told them with a grin, "Teach them some discipline, and why they should be training instead of gossiping."

"You have a point," Major Sakamoto conceded.

"You have got to be kidding me, Major," Jack said with significant exasperation, "You agree with this lunacy?"

"Lunacy?" Minna laughed, "Compared to your story about being from the future?"

"Okay, that story probably does sound farfetched, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a stupid idea."

"Have some faith, Colonel; I know what I'm doing."

"Is there anything more to your plan than, 'Pretend to be your boyfriend'?"

"So you're in?" Minna said hopefully.

"No, I just want to hear more of the plan before I make a decision."

"First off we just 'accidently' get caught fooling around, and we act fond of one another. Maybe we could even use the party this Friday…"

"There's a party this Friday?" Both Jack and Major Sakamoto asked at the same time.

"Oh, yes, Erica and Trude are organising it," Minna waved the notion away, "Moving on, I think if the Major here accepts our relationship publicly, once we 'accidently' reveal it, the others should be much more inclined to believe, even your team. Now, after three or four weeks, we announce that I am pregnant and leaving the 501st with you to live out the rest of our lives in the country. See how they react to that, and then tell them it was all a lie to teach them a lesson about spreading rumours."

"It could work," Major Sakamoto told Jack, "I'm sure your team would believe it as well."

"Well, if I'm 'a special kind of crazy' then you people are just bat shit insane," Jack said, rolling his eyes, "There is no way this could work. I know half of them are still kids, but they're not stupid."

"Please do not swear," Minna said sternly, then in a much softer, almost sombre voice, "And as much as it pains me to say it, some are naïve."

"Okay let's entertain the notion that I go along with this ridiculous idea, does this mean that we make out a lot and get caught?"

"Don't be stupid," Minna spat, "We spend a lot of time together, hold hands if we know someone was coming down the hall, you know, normal couple stuff. You may have to spend some nights in my room though, if the pregnancy story is to be believed."

Jack grinned and said, "Ah, so this is just some elaborate attempt to get in bed with me?" earning him glares from both Minna and Major Sakamoto. "I'm kidding, it was a joke. But seriously, how will we know if someone is coming, the amount of surveillance equipment needed for this sort of thing… it just doesn't exist in the forties."

"Ah, but I can know where everybody is. You see my magical ability is Area Analysis, I can detect where people are on the base."

"Of coarse you can," Jack said dryly, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I'll help…" he pointed a finger at her, "…but I get to call you Min."

* * *

Sam pushed the C4 onto the Shirley's shield, making sure it stayed where she stuck it.

"It's getting dark," Shirley said hopefully, "maybe this could wait till tomorrow?"

"Don't be silly," Sam scoffed, "the time of day won't stop the intensity or force of the explosion. I just hope the recording equipment doesn't blow out or something."

"All the more reason to wait," Shirley said with a smile, clicking her fingers.

"You're not getting out of this. Now, just fly out until you're about fifty feet from anything to avoid any unnecessary damage," Sam shouted over her shoulder as she jogged over to the equipment.

Shirley sighed and followed the instruction. Once she was in position, she turned on her communicator, "You know, Sam, I was wondering how this thing…"

Shirley was cut off by a loud explosion that hurled her backwards and into the ground.

Shirley's head throbbed from the impact. She opened and closed her eyes, and shook her head until her vision returned, and then began examining her body for damage. She couldn't move her arms, but she could clench her hands into fists and she could feel her lags and toes, even if she couldn't move them, so there wasn't any permanent spinal damage. She hoped. She pushed herself up on her elbows and examined her torso. Luckily nothing untoward caught her eye. She would live to fight another day.

"You okay?" Sam shouted as she ran over to the downed Witch.

"Oh, just fiiiinnne," Shirley told the older woman, rolling her eyes, "Nearly being blown up aside."

"Well, I got some fantastic results," Sam told Shirley as she lifted the Liberian off the ground.

Shirley raised an eyebrow, "Me being thrown to the ground was a _good_ result?"

"Oh, uh, sorry 'bout that. Since you guys deflected those laser beams, I didn't think a half pound of C4 would be much trouble." Sam rubbed her chin, "though, this would mean that the beams don't have much force to them…"

Shirley raised her hand, "Sorry to cut you off, Sam, but the sun is already down and it will be dark in another minute or two; we should go inside."

Sam grimaced, "I guess you're right. We'll have to finish up tomorrow. That'll give me time to put together a spectroscope though, let me see what that shield of yours is made up of."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter nine

"Someone's coming," Minna said as she and Jack walked down the hall in the middle of discussing the Goa'uld Shuttle shaped Neuroi. "Grab my hand."

Jack complied and held her hand and the two continued their discussion. "So Sam and Daniel seem to think that the Neuroi are here looking for the Stargates, which would explain their presence in Africa, since that's where we found the Stargate in our universe."

"Then how come you arrived here in Romagna?"

"Daniel reckons it was moved in this universe…" Jack stopped speaking as Minna snatched her hand out of Jack's just as Flying Officer Clostermann appeared, walking toward them them. Minna had waited just long enough for Clostermann to get a slight glimpse of the two holding hands. Jack picked up where he had stopped, the time between stopping and starting only noticeable to someone who was looking for it, "but he doubts they knew where it was in the first place. The problem I see with it is that if these things can defeat the Goa'uld, then what chance…" the pair passed Clostermann and the blond Witch looked back at them over her shoulder, "… have you guys got."

"We have held out for several years already, so we can't be doing that bad. Speaking of this Stargate, why haven't you tried to use it to get home?"

"You want to get rid of us?" Jack said, feigning insult.

"No, it just strikes me as odd that you would not wish to return to your own time."

Jack huffed, "But that would mean I have to leave you, Min." There was a chance that Clostermann would still be in earshot. "But aside from that, we'd have to excavate the gate and the DHD. With the war going the way I think, I just don't think you would be willing to spare the resources, and chances are that we won't go back to our universe unless we recreate the exact circumstances," he shrugged and shook his head, "and we have no idea what they are."

"What is a 'DHD'?"

"Dial Home Device."

"So you believe we don't poses or are not willing to share the resources needed for you to return home?"

"Hey, don't forget we're learning about those Striker things. A weapon like that… we'd be more than capable of defending ourselves."

"So you really don't have Witches where you come from?" Minna asked, changing the subject as the two turned a corner, heading towards the dining hall for lunch.

Jack couldn't help but laugh, "You have no idea how weird you guys are to us. You people are circus freaks."

Minna glared at him and the two walked the rest of the way in silence.

"Good afternoon, campers," Jack greeted everyone loudly and happily as the pair entered the dining hall. There were only a couple of other people, but surprisingly those people were Sam, Daniel, Shirley, Sergeant Miyafuji and Teal'c.

"Good afternoon, Colonel O'Neill, Commander Wilcke," Teal'c replied, inclining his head in his way. Everyone else was too absorbed in what they were doing to notice the new arrivals. Sam was arguing with Shirley, and Daniel was taking down notes while Sergeant Miyafuji spoke.

Minna walked over to the kitchenette and rolled up her sleeves. "Hurry up, Colonel, lunch won't cook itself," she told Jack after he gave her a look.

"Oh? It's probably not a good idea to let me near the kitchen," he warned her, "I can't cook."

She smiled, "That's okay, I can't either."

Jack sighed and walked over to the kitchen, rolling up his own sleeves. "Okay then, what are we cooking?"

Minna shrugged, "Dunno. Let's have a look at what we've got." She started rummaging through cupboards.

"Tell you what," Jack said, beginning to rummage through cupboards also, "find some meat and I can burn it to perfection."

"Why don't you two let me handle lunch?" Sergeant Miyafuji offered, leaning over the counter to look at Jack and Minna. "I mean, no offence, Commander, but the last time you cooked…" the Fuso girl trailed off, as if afraid to mention what happened.

Minna stood up and put her hands on her hips, "Ah, c'mon, my cooking wasn't that bad."

"Are you kidding?" Shirley scoffed, also leaning on the counter, as Jack got up. Daniel was only a few steps behind Miyafuji, but Sam and Teal'c were just sitting back, watching the show. "We were out of action for over two weeks!"

"Really now…" Minna began, only to be cut off by Shirley.

"Barkhorn, Lucchini. Hartmann and I nearly died!"

Minna threw her hands up in the air, "fine, fine, fine. You cook."

Shirley sighed, "That's an order, isn't it ma'am?"

"Think of it as penance for talking disrespectfully to a superior officer," Minna told the Liberian, then turned to Sergeant Miyafuji, "Yoshika, why don't you help her? I'd rather not have canned Spem."

Sergeant Miyafuji smiled, "Yes, ma'am."

"That's one way to get a meal," Jack commented as he and Minna walked over to the table. "Did you plan that?"

Minna crossed her legs and smiled, "No, it was just fortunate. They weren't kidding about my cooking ability. A few of us got pretty bad food poisoning. The Major is going to be very upset when she finds out I went near the kitchenette."

"You're not allowed near the kitchenette?" Jack found that hard to believe.

"Something along those lines."

* * *

"I saw them," Perrine said to Hartmann as she slipped into the bath. She had just returned from training with the Lynette, Barkhorn and Hartmann, but only the latter had gone to the bath. Perrine had no doubt they would arrive soon, though, but for now she would talk to Hartmann, who was sitting with her arms and legs stretched out and her eyes closed. "They were holding hands."

"Who was holding hands?" Hartmann asked without opening her eyes.

"That Colonel O'Neill and the Commander."

Hartmann opened her eyes and smiled at Perrine, "I told you it was true, didn't I?"

"This proves nothing," Perrine sniffed, "Just because they were holding hands doesn't mean they are…"

"Having sex?" Hartmann finished, with a raised eyebrow and a cheeky grin.

"Um… yes. It doesn't mean they are having sex."

Hartmann rubbed her chin, "Maybe not, but it's a step in the right direction."

"What?!" Perrine shouted, standing up, "A step in…?! ARGH! You are insufferable!"

"She may be a little lazy," Barkhorn said firmly as she entered and sat across from Hartmann and Perrine, "But 'insufferable' is a bit of a harsh word, yes?"

"You wouldn't be saying that if you heard what she had just said," Perrine huffed.

"And what did she say?" Lynette inquired sitting opposite everyone.

"I said that Colonel O'Neill and Commander Minna holding hands is a step in the right direction for having sex," Hartmann said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" both Lynette and Barkhorn exclaimed at the same time. With Barkhorn adding angrily, "You are out of line, Flying Officer."

Hartmann put her hands behind her head, leaned on the edge of the bath, and shrugged, "Court martial me."

* * *

It was three days until the party, and Erica had already organised for Lynette and Yoshika to cook, but she still needed drinks. As she skipped past the library where DanielJackson was working, she got an idea.

She poked her head through the door to find standing up, reading a book, and Lucchini asleep on the desk. "Excuse me, ?" Erica would have used his rank if he had one, but wasn't in the military.

The American turned around and closed the book, "Oh, hello Erica. Please, just call me Daniel. Did you need something?"

"I was wondering if you might be able to help me with something. You know about science and chemicals and stuff, right?"

"Yes," Daniel said carefully.

Erica stepped into the room and closed the door behind her, "There's going to be a party for SG-1 this Friday to commemorate your first kills – don't tell anybody, it's a secret – and I need some help with the beverages."

"Well, I'm not sure wha…" by Daniel's change of expression, Erica knew he knew what she was alluding to. "You want me to help you distil something?"

Erica nodded with a smile, "Yup. I've got plenty of potatoes hidden away, but I'm not sure where to go from there."

Daniel thought about it for a moment and then pushed his glasses up on his face. "Yeah, okay. I'll help." He gestured at the door, "Lead the way."

* * *

It was dinner, and everyone was around the table. Sam was arguing with Shirley and Barkhorn, Daniel was discussing something with Perrine, Lynette and Yoshika were talking to one another, Eila and Sanya were quiet as usual, Erica was trying to pry information out of Teal'c, though he kept his answers to one sentence much to the dismay of the Karlslander, Lucchini was stuffing her face with a second helping already, Jack and Minna were discussing either the Neuroi or the Goa'uld or logistics or something, and Mio just sat quietly observing everyone.

As far as she could tell, everyone was getting along well enough, with no more major fights breaking out since the Eila/Barkhorn incident. It would seem that Minna's plan to pretend to be in a relationship with Jack was also distracting everyone from their other troubles.

"Excuse me, Major Sakamoto," Teal'c said, from across the table, "are you recovered from the battle."

"I am, thank you for asking, Teal'c. You?"

"Indeed. Since we are both recovered, should we not take the opportunity to continue out match after the meal?"

Mio grinned, "I think that would be a good idea."

"No," Minna said firmly, silencing everyone out of shock. It was very rare for Minna to speak so loudly or firmly, at least as far as the other Witches knew. "You two will not fight. That is an order."

"Very well," Teal'c said, complying with the order.

Mio on the other hand had some arguments. "May I speak to you outside, Commander?"

"Of course," Minna said, pushing her chair out as she stood up to walk out of the room.

"I don't understand why you're doing this," Mio said angrily once the two were out the room.

"You two nearly killed each other last time you fought; I'm not letting that happen again."

"We wouldn't have killed each other," Mio told her friend, levelling her voice somewhat, "everything was under control."

Minna put her hand on Mio's shoulder, "You tried to run him through with your sword and he broke a few of your bones, I'd hardy call that 'under control'."

"We said we wouldn't hold back. The training would have been useless otherwise."

"Mio," Minna said with a friendly smile, "if I'm not allowed in the kitchen, then you're not allowed to spar with Teal'c."

Mio also smiled, "There's a difference between two people hurting each other and putting the base out of action for several weeks."

Minna shook head, "We get incapacitated longer every time someone tells that story."


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter ten

It was the day of the party, and it was quite evident to Jack that someone had spiked the drinks. Even with it being late and another JFW being in the region so even if there was a Neuroi attack, the Witches of the 501st wouldn't be called upon, he thought it best to alert Minna, who was leaning against a wall in the dining hall, observing everyone.

"I know," she said quietly, holding her drink up to her face, "I think we could use it to our advantage."

"What? You're fine with your soldiers being drunk?"

Minna smiled, "Perrine is the only one that's drunk, the rest are… tipsy. Besides, you think this is the first time Erica has spiked the drinks?"

Jack leaned on the wall next to her, "okay then, how do we use this to our advantage?"

She shrugged, "I don't know."

Jack rolled his eyes and said dryly, "Of course you don't."

"Go get a drink and loosen up a little, Colonel."

"You got it, Min."

Jack went and got some punch, and Sam intercepted him on his way back, "Sir, I think the punch is spiked."

"I know," Jack told her casually, taking a sip from his punch, "So does that Commander; she says it's okay."

Sam grimaced, she obviously didn't like it much more than Jack, but they had learnt to interfere as little as possible in other's customs. She walked off to argue some more with Shirley – that seemed to be all the pair ever did – and Jack went back to Minna. "Sam knows the drinks are spiked too."

"This is more potent than what Erica normally uses," Minna commented, taking another sip from her drink, "I wonder what brew it is?"

"Minna!" Major Sakamoto yelled as she stumbled over to the aforementioned Witch and Jack. "Minna, Minna, Minna, Minna!"

"I thought you said Clostermann was the only drunk one," Jack said from behind his drink.

Minna seemed too taken back by the Major's state to say anything.

The Major wrapped her arms around Minna, and winked at Jack – he assumed it was a wink, the eye patch made it hard to tell– and said quickly and quietly, "Punch me when I kiss her."

"Wh-" was all Jack could get out before she planted one on Minna.

Jack understood what was going on; the Major wasn't drunk, she was just pretending to be drunk. "Get off her," Jack yelled, swinging a punch at the major's head, making sure not to swing too hard.

The Major recoiled, smiled, and slurred, "You call that a punch?" She swung a punch back at Jack, dislocating his jaw.

And then Perrine lunged at Jack while he defended himself against the eye patched woman, screaming something nearly incomprehensible about hurting the Major.

Jack fell to the ground and the he heard Teal'c throw Perrine of his friend and then held out a hand to help Jack up. Someone jumped on Teal'c's back, and before long, the only people not involved in the brawl were Jack, Minna, Sergeant Miyafuji and Flying Officer Litvyak, all of whom were hiding behind the kitchenette counter, Jack holding a handkerchief up to his bleeding and broken nose. "You still think we shouldn't have taken away the booze?"

"In hindsight, I admit it was a bad idea," Minna said.

"You knew there was liquor in the punch?!" the Sergeant exclaimed.

"For now, let's focus on this problem," the Commander said firmly, thumbing at the brawl, "Ideas?"

"Could hit 'em with the Zat guns," Jack suggested, "been long enough since Teal'c and the Major were shot to not kill them."

"Shoot them?!" Sergeant Miyafuji just about yelled in shock.

"Shh," the surprisingly calm Flying Officer Litvyak said, putting a hand the Sergeant's mouth to shut her up. Jack had always though Litvyak to be a timid girl, but it seemed a little alcohol was all that was needed to make her more bold and sure.

"We use that as a last resort," Minna told Jack, she was opposed to shooting people with the Zat guns. "Any other ideas before someone gets badly injured?"

"You could try ordering them to stop," the Sergeant suggested after plying Litvyak's hand from her mouth.

"I could knock them unconscious," the red cheeked Litvyak offered, cracking her knuckles and her animal ears and tail appearing – which still freaked Jack out.

"Somehow, I don't think ordering them to stop will work," Minna said with a grimace. "Okay, Colonel, you make a break for it and go to the armoury to retrieve a Zat gun. Remember, only hit them once."

Jack nodded and sprinted for the door. In a matter of minutes, he had made his way to the armoury and a returned to the scene of the brawl – Flying Officer Litvyak having joined the chaos now, and from the looks of things being more than capable of defending herself. Jack opened fire with the Zat gun, and disabled everyone except Teal'c, who he knew had only acted in self-defence.

"Thank you, O'Neill," the Jaffa said as he rolled the now unconscious Barkhorn off him and stood up.

"Miyafuji, start healing the most badly wounded," Minna ordered, "the rest of us will clean this place up a bit."

"We're not going to take them to the infirmary?" Sergeant Miyafuji asked with surprise while she healed a badly bruised Flying Officer Juutilainen.

"It's more effort than we need. They'll awaken in a couple of hours or so, right, Jack?"

"Yeah, maybe a bit longer for the younger ones. Probably a long time for Lucchini."

"There you go. Besides, it'll be punishment for them having a fight in our dining hall. Now let's clean up a little."

* * *

It had been an hour since the brawl, and Jack and Minna were sitting with their backs against the wall, watching over the unconscious Witches.

"Neaurgh…" Major Sakamoto groaned as she awoke. Jack wasn't surprised to see her awaken first; the Zat gun was always less effective the more times a person got shot with it. Jack had been shot on a number of occasions and it now took two shots to stun him.

Minna rushed to her friend's side, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. A bit of a headache, but I'll survive. Where's Teal'c?"

"Teal'c? Never mind that, what were you thinking, pulling a stunt like that?" the Commander said angrily, though Jack thought it was more at herself.

Sakamoto rubbed the side of her face, "He'd gotten a few good punches in, but I gave as good as I got."

"Mio," the Karlslander said sternly, grabbing both of the Fuso woman's shoulders, "Why did you start a riot in my dining hall?"

"Yes, that. The brawl wasn't part of the plan; I got a bit carried away after the Colonel hit me…"

"I noticed," Jack told her dryly from his side of the room.

"I probably only came up with the plan because I had had a bit too much to drink."

"Yes, well," Minna looked a bit embarrassed, "You do get a bit… friendly towards me when you drink."

Jack jumped up, "Wait, you normally try and make out with Min when you get drunk?"

Major Sakamoto looked down, "Can we… talk about something else?"

"Yes," Minna said, helping up her friend, "just walk off the hangover, though I think the Zat may have sobered you up a little."

Major Sakamoto ran a hand over her head, "I think I will go for a walk. Maybe see if I can find Teal'c."

Minna opened her mouth but the Major stopped her with a raised hand, "I'm not going to fight him, just talk."

Minna nodded, "Go on then."

"There was some good to come of this," Minna commented, "Your actions will only help to reinforce the rumour that we are together."

Over the next hour an a half, the other Witches slowly woke up. Flying Officer Juutilainen was one of the first, and she waited for Flying Officer Litvyak to awaken before leaving, Litvyak being one of the last.

"Are those two always together?" Jack asked Minna once the seemingly inseparable pair left.

"Yeah, Eila has a crush on Sanya, but Sanya is oblivious to it. That's my theory, anyway. Erica seems to think that Sanya is in love with Eila too, and they're both oblivious to each other's affection."

Erica was the last Witch to awaken. Not because she was hung-over, or that the Zat gun had affected her most; she had just fallen asleep where she was. Both Minna and Jack were alerted to this when she grumbled, turned over, and lay silent again.

"You want me to handle this one, Min?" Jack asked.

"If you feel you must," Minna yawned.

Jack got up, walked over to Hartmann, and rolled her over with his foot. "Get up, you're an officer for crying out loud."

"Gngh," she waved him away, "just seventy more minutes."

"Commander Wilcke, permission to open fire?" Jack yelled out, activating the Zat gun.

By that time, everyone on the base was familiar with the sounds that came from the Zat gun, so Hartmann knew what was about to happen.

"Permission granted," Minna said, playing along with Jack.

One second, Hartmann was on the ground, the next, she was through the door, saying, "I'm up, I'm up, I'm up!"

Jack stretched and yawned, "I s'pose we should hit the sack too, it's pretty late."

Minna got up, and also stretched and yawned, "Yeah. You should stay in my room tonight; make them think we slept together."

"You don't miss a beat, do you?" Jack grinned.

Minna pointed an angry finger at him, "Don't you make a single dirty comment."

"Hey, have some faith; I wouldn't make any dirty comments."

She looked at him sideways as she walked off with him in tow.

* * *

Yoshika looked around the dining hall after cooking breakfast with Lynne's help, and noticed that two people were missing.

"Where are the Commander and the Colonel?" Lynne asked, also noticing their absence.

"I'll go get them," Yoshika said, wiping her hands and leaving.

* * *

Jack lifted himself off the ground and ran a hand through his hair. He had slept in Minna's room for the night, but because they weren't actually going out, it would be inappropriate for him to sleep in her bed, so he slept on the floor; the cold, hard, wooden floor.

"What time is it?" He grumbled, and was answered by an unintelligible grumble from the Karlslander. Jack suspected it was something about being too early because she pulled the covers over her head.

He stood up and glanced at the clock beside her bed. "Min, get some clothes on, it's already time for breakfast."

She sat up, pulled her nightgown up a little and rubbed her eye, "Arnghea, I feel like I've only been asleep for a couple of hours." She went to climb out of bed and then stopped, her creepy ears and tail appearing, "Someone's coming. Get in the bed."

"What?"

"Just get in the bed and put your arm around me."

Jack climbed into the bed with Minna and put his arm around her.

"Now pretend you're asleep."

* * *

Yoshika knocked on the Commander's door.

No response.

She knocked again, slightly harder, "Commander?"

Still, no response.

"Commander?!"

Again, nothing.

Yoshika opened the door and covered her mouth in shock. The Commander and the Colonel were in bed together!

The Fuso girl slammed the door shut behind her and ran as fast as her legs would carry her back to the dining hall.

* * *

Shirley had just wrestled the last piece of toast from Barkhorn when Yoshika collapsed through the dining hall door.

While the others rushed to the girl's side to see if she was oaky, Shirley took a moment to enjoy her prize before also running to the girl's side.

The short of breath Yoshika was halfway through explaining why she had run to the dining hall, "…Commander… Colonel… bed… together…"

"WHAT?!" Everyone but Teal'c exclaimed at once. He just raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes.

* * *

"She's gone," Minna said, throwing Jack's hand off her and climbing out of the bed.

"How much longer do we need to keep this up?" he whined, also climbing out the bed.

"Maybe a few more days," she answered, "Get out while I get changed."

"Aye, Aye, Cap'n," he said dryly, half saluting and leaving the room, only half dressed himself, and then waited next to the door.

After a moment, a hand came out the door and pulled him back through the door.

"Someone's coming," Minna told Jack.

"And you pulled me in because it would be weird for me to have to leave the room since we're…"

"No," the red haired woman said sternly, cutting Jack off. "Someone is coming, but it isn't one of ours. Get your handgun, this could be trouble."

The Colonel nodded and grabbed his Beretta.

"Get dressed; we may have to hunt this… person."

Minna's reluctance to say person was ever so slight, but it was noticeable. "Something wrong with him?" Jack asked, quickly pulling on his black BDU shirt and clipping on his belt and associated holster.

"He seems… off. I'm not sure." She said with a shake of her head, keeping her PPK trained at the door. "He seems… bad."

Jack pulled the slide back on his M9, "Alright, we need to move quickly."

She nodded, held the door handle with one hand, and the PPK up, "He'll pass by the room in a moment, we spring out and get him."

Jack stacked up behind her, and tapped her shoulder.

"Here he comes... three… two… one… mark!"

Minna pulled open the door and stepped aside to let Jack past. He rushed out the door and tackled a bald man in a green jumpsuit to the ground, holding the M9 to his head. A moment later, Minna was also through the door, gun trained at the bald man.

"Who are you," Minna demanded, "What are you?"

The man struggled, his eyes glowing for a minute and his voice being almost robotic. "Release me you fools!"

"Holy shit," Jack said slowly, not taking his eyes from the obvious enemy, "This guy's a Goa'uld."

"Want me to go get the others?" Minna asked, sounding slightly shaken. Jack had told her enough about the alien enemy from his reality for her to know how dangerous they could be.

Jack shook his head slightly, "No, we'll have to wait for them to come to us. These guys are too dangerous for on person to handle." He made sure to keep his voice level to avoid panicking the Karlslander. "How far are the others?"

"T-they're in the dining hall still."

"Unhand me slave!" the bald man growled.

"Shut up," Jack ordered dryly, smacking the bald man with his Beretta, "Think we're in earshot?"

"Not a chance," Minna said with a slight shake of her head which Jack only saw out the corner of his eye.

"As much as I would like to have him interrogated, we might just have to kill him."

"You can't afford to kill me," the Goa'uld said with a grin, "I have information you want."

"Spill it," Jack told him, tapping the top of the Goa'uld's bald head with his gun.

The Goa'uld grinned, "You think I will just tell you?" he laughed, "I want to make a deal."

"You spill it, and I don't shoot you," Jack told him dryly. He looked slightly in Minna's direction but didn't take his eyes off the Goa'uld, "Who exactly will be cleaning him up? I need to know who to apologise to for the mess."

"That'll be either Miyafuji or Bishop," Minna said as Jack pressed the M9's barrel harder against the Goa'uld's head and slowly started squeezing the trigger.

"Alright, alright, alright," the Goa'uld pleaded, "I'll talk, I'll talk."

Jack stopped pushing the gun into the Goa'uld's head.

"I can tell you how the Defilers work."

Minna leaned down next to Jack, putting her hands on her knees but keeping her Walther trained on the Goa'uld. "Defilers?"

"What you call… Neuroi."

* * *

While everyone else in the dining hall was trying to get more information out of the exhausted Yoshika, Eila and Sanya had returned to their meal.

"Something is in the base," Sanya said, her ears, tail, and antenna appearing.

"A Neuroi?" Eila asked, jumping up from her seat.

Sanya shook her head, "No something else. It's not a Neuroi, but it isn't human. The Commander and the Colonel are attacking it."

"Everyone, shut up!" Eila shouted at the arguing rabble, "Sanya's detected a non-human hostile in the base. It's engaged both the Colonel and the Commander."

Major Sakamoto immediately took charge. "Barkhorn, Hartmann, Teal'c, Shirley, Eila, You're with me. The rest of you go to the armoury and then Sanya will lead you to us. Where are they, Sanya?"

"Outside the Commander's room," the shy girl answered.

"Alright, move!" Major Sakamoto barked.

* * *

"Hurry up and spill it," Jack ordered, pressing the gun harder against the Goa'uld's head, "We don't have all day."

"Help is coming," Minna told Jack, "the Major and several others just left the dining hall in our direction."

"I guess we can wait for you to talk," Jack told the Goa'uld, smiling.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter eleven

"So this is a Goa'uld?" Major Sakamoto asked, tilting her slightly while cupping her chin. She was staring right at the Goa'uld who was tied to a chair in the brig. The only Witches there were Minna, Major Sakamoto, Barkhorn, and Hartmann, the former two with a StG 44 and MP 40 respectively, and a Walther P38 on each on their hips, automatic weapons trained on the Goa'uld. "Doesn't look so scary."

"Believe me," Jack told her, "they are." All of SG-1 were present. Teal'c keeping his staff weapon trained on the Goa'uld.

Everyone else was also armed. Minna had her PPK in its holster and a Karabiner 98k with a bayonet attached slung over her shoulder. In addition to her sword, Major Sakamoto had a FN Model 1910 brandishing her hip also. Jack, Sam and Daniel all had their P90s and Sam and Daniel had Zat guns while Jack stuck with the M9.

"Alright," Minna said, not a hint of her usual friendliness or softness in her voice, "You wanted to tell us something, so tell us."

"Not until you untie me!" he growled. He had growled as much when he was being tied up too.

Jack shot the Goa'uld in the kneecap.

No one but the Goa'uld moved, he screaming, everyone looking at him with stern looks. Minus Major Sakamoto, she looked more curious than anything else.

"Argh! Fine, fine, I will talk."

Sam quickly checked the recording device was on and nodded to Jack.

"These 'Neuroi', as you call them," he spoke the word as if it was something vile, "Their main power source is the prism, purple in colour, a micro processing and manufacturing plant, as well as a quantum computer…"

"Does anyone else understand this stuff?" Jack asked, interrupting the Goa'uld.

"It's fairly simple, Colonel…" Sam said, about to start explaining it, but Jack cut her off.

"No, no, just as long as someone does. Okay Mister Goa'uld, continue."

"They are not self-replicating though, the central computers are manufactured within the… what do you humans call them, Hives?" he laughed, "An apt name I guess. The Hives have several layers of defences, making them quite invulnerable and are surrounded by a fog, which hides these defences. They are parasitic creatures that leave a ravaged world for its resources, and leave it for dead."

"Is that all?" Jack asked sarcastically, pointing his Beretta at the Goa'uld's other knee.

"It is all I know, I swear!"

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Minna asked. Again, sounding more like Barkhorn than herself.

"I am Teshak, former disciple of the System Lord Apophis," he replied proudly

"Former?" Jack interrupted.

"Yes, the System Lords were defeated some time ago. I fled to this world to escape the Defilers, but it would seem that was futile."

"What I meant was: why are you in my base?" Minna said sternly, getting the rifle off her shoulder and aiming it at Teshak's one good kneecap.

"I came here to discover how you have managed to hold off the Defilers with such primitive technologies."

Jack stuck the barrel of his M9 into Teshak's knee wound, twisting it around. Sure, he would have to clean it later, but it was worth it. "Is that all?"

"Argh! I have no reason to hide anything! However, I would ask why a Jaffa with the mark of Apophis has a staff pointed at me, and how you acquired Zat'nik'tels?"

"You can inquire all you want, we're not telling you anything," Minna said harshly. "The bargain was that you talk and we don't kill you, not that we will answer your questions."

"Barkhorn, Hartmann, stay here and make sure he doesn't do anything," Major Sakamoto ordered as she and Minna left.

"You too, Teal'c," Jack said, patting his bald friend on the shoulder before leaving with Sam and Daniel, who left the recording device on in case Teshak said anything while they were gone.

* * *

"Aw, this thing is heavy," Lucchini complained as she and Shirley walked to the hanger, the younger of the two carrying a MP 18 with a Beretta M 1935 on the holster on the belt she now wore. Shirley had a Thompson M1A1 and a Colt Government M1911 A1, with the addition of a Bowie knife strapped to her boot. Shirley was one of few Witches on the base that actually had her own regular combat gear, and since Commander Minna had ordered everyone to carry just about full combat gear, everyone else was forced to use the surplus Karlsland equipment that was lying around. Shirley, Major Sakamoto, and SG-1 were the only ones to have regular combat gear.

"Stop complaining," Shirley chided, using the butt of her submachine gun to gently 'tap' Lucchini in the back of the head, "Least you don't have to carry your Breda-SAFAT." The Commander had also ordered that no one use the gear they used with their Strikers.

"But I don't _want_ to carry anything; we already caught the guy didn't we?"

"You want to get killed by one of those Goa'ulds?"

"I don't want to carry this either," Lucchini yelled, throwing her arms in the air.

"If you keep acting like a baby, I won't do the maintenance on your Striker.

* * *

"So what do you think" Minna asked, crossing her legs and putting her feet on her desk.

"I don't think he's lying," said, "the Goa'ulds are very self-preservative. And it would seem the Neuroi are a greater enemy than us at the moment."

"And the technological side does make sense," Major Carter added.

"I think we should kill him," Jack shrugged.

"If he's as dangerous as you say he is," Mio said to Jack, "I agree."

"I don't," Minna told them, "I want to keep an eye on him for a few days, if he is a dangerous as you say. After some time, we can hand him over to the R&D boys."

"With all due respect, Min," Jack said, stepping up to the desk and placing both hands on it, "these things are dangerous. What if it tried to escape and took one of your Witches as a host? It would most likely be one of your countrymen."

Minna picked up a pen and twirled it in her hand. Both arguments were valid. If these Goa'uld were a threat, they needed to know as much as they could in case they were to fight them one day. On the other hand, if they are so dangerous, then perhaps it was better to just kill it and send that to R&D. But, Minna had made a deal.

"I'm afraid he has to stay alive, Colonel, I made a deal with him and I will not be known as a deal breaker."

Jack banged a fist on the table and said angrily, "God dammit! That _thing_ wouldn't hesitate to kill you. Back in my universe, they tried to kill everyone on earth, they enslave us! _It_ deserves no mercy."

Minna put down the pen and her feet, and leaned forward, "I have made my decision, Colonel."

Jack kicked the desk, "well it's the wrong god damn one."

* * *

Barkhorn had not loosened her grip on the assault rifle once since the Commander had ordered her and Hartmann  
to guard Teshak. Hartmann on the other hand, was leaning against the wall, whistling and twirling her Walther in her hand like in the old western films.

"Stop that infernal whistling!" Teshak growled. That seemed to be all he did, growl.

Hartmann stopped spinning the pistol and walked slowly over to Teshak, still whistling. She leaned down so that she was eyelevel with the prisoner, smacked him across the face with her P38, and said coldly, "If you don't have anything useful to say, don't say anything at all." Very casually, Hartmann walked back to her spot on the wall and resumed spinning her pistol.

Barkhorn was shocked. Hartmann was never violent to anyone else. She played the odd prank, but never got violent. And she was never that cold, even when dealing with the Neuroi.

"You will regret that, girl," Teshak said after spitting blood, "when I am released-"

Hartmann stopped spinning the pistol again and levelled it at the bald man's head, again speaking coldly, "You won't be released. I'll kill you here, and then we can get on with fighting our usual foe."

"I do not believe Commander Wilcke has given any such orders," Teal'c told the blond girl.

"She hasn't." Hartmann was starting to look angry.

"Pilot Officer Hartmann," Barkhorn yelled, turning her weapon on her friend, "stand down!"

"You've heard O'Neill talking about what these things do," Hartmann said, not looking away from Teshak, but addressing Barkhorn, "the safest option is to kill it."

"Hartmann, if you don't lower your weapon, I will be forced to open fire."

Hartmann pulled off the safety.

"Hartmann, drop the weapon!"

The blond's finger tensed on the trigger.

"Don't make me do this, Erica. Please don't make me do this."

"Shit! You just got very, _very_ lucky, baldy," Hartmann said, pushing the safety back on and sticking the P38 in her holster, resuming her whistling.

Barkhorn sighed with relief, and then walked over to the phone on the wall, dialling 01 for the Commander's office.

* * *

While was arguing why they shouldn't just kill Teshak, and Jack, Major Carter and Mio argued against that, Minna's phone rang.

She put down the pen she was spinning and picked it up, "Yes?"

"It's Barkhorn, Ma'am. You need to send someone to relieve Hartmann, she just flipped, aimed her weapon at the prisoner, was about to shoot him." Minna could tell that Barkhorn was shaken by her disjointed speech.

"Copy that, someone will be there in a minute," Minna replied reassuringly. Trude was one of the most level headed people Minna knew, and for Erica to get violent like that… she needed to get someone down there to relieve those two as fast as possible.

Minna slammed the phone down, silencing everyone.

Mio had known Minna long enough to know this wasn't a good sign, she pulled her FN Model 1910, breaking the catch on the leather holster, "Put the base on alert?"

"No. But Teshak must have gotten into their heads. I need someone one to replace those two."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Jack said, holding up a finger, "Those two are your most disciplined people; if it broke them… we need to kill that thing."

Minna grunted, "Fine. I'll give them the order to execute them." The commanding officer walked back over to the phone and dialled 06, the brig.

* * *

Barkhorn hung up the phone and then heard Teal'c yell, "Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn, Pilot Officer Hartmann is threatening Teshak!"

The brown haired Karlslander turned in time to see Teal'c with his arms wrapped around Hartmann, restraining her. Barkhorn took one step forward and a hand grabbed Hartmann's MP 40, which had been sitting on the ground, from behind Teal'c and fired at the back of the tall Jaffa. Teal'c fell to the ground with a grunt of pain and Barkhorn raised her StG 44.

Teshak grabbed the stunned Hartman and wrapped one arm around her neck. Barkhorn hesitated to fire because her friend was in the way, and was shot in the chest several times and twice in the jaw as a result.

Falling to the ground, Barkhorn fired wildly at the ceiling, and saw Teshak put his mouth over Hartmann's. After a moment, Teshak fell to the ground, limp.

Barkhorn tried to push herself up, and heard the phone start ringing, when Hartmann's booted foot fell on her back, causing the brown haired girl to scream out in pain as she hit the ground for a second time. "You should have let her kill me," Hartmann said in the same voice as Teshak had spoken, and then left.

"Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn," Teal'c grunted, clawing his way to the Karlslander despite the pain he must have been feeling, "Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn, are you badly injured?"

Barkhorn tried to answer, but could only get out a scream of pain.

The phone continued to ring.

* * *

"God dammit!" Minna cursed, slamming down the phone. "Shit!" she turned to the other people in her office, "Teshak's out," was all she said before dialling 00, the number for the internal speakers, "All personnel on high alert, I repeat, all personnel on high alert. The Goa'uld prisoner has escaped." Minna gave Mio a look that expressed her orders exactly.

Mio nodded and looked at SG-1, "Follow me."

* * *

"…Goa'uld prisoner has escaped," the Commander said over the loudspeaker.

Both Shirley and Lucchini looked up at the same time, and then looked at each other. Lucchini jumped down from her nest and Shirley dropped her tools, both of them getting their submachine guns at the same time.

"We need to keep him out of the hanger," Shirley told her partner.

"Damn right we will," Lucchini said seriously, taking up a defensive position beside the door.

Shirley ran over to the desk where some of the communicators were kept and threw one to Lucchini, then took up a defensive position of her own by the Strikers. "This is Shirley and Lucchini," she said over the radio, just in case some of the other witches or SG-1 had their communicators as well, "We're taking up defensive positions in the hanger."

* * *

When Mio arrived at the brig, she found Teal'c with his hands on Barkhorn's chest, doing his best to stop the bleeding, and several wounds in his own back.

ran to Barkhorn's aid and Major Carter went to Teal'c. "I am fine," the Jaffa said, "My wounds will heal."

Mio ran to the phone on the wall and hit 00, "Miyafuji to the brig, ASAP, two wounded." She slammed the phone down and turned to the others.

Colonel O'Neill was checking over the body of Teshak, "He's dead."

"No," Teal'c grunted, "he took Pilot Officer Hartmann as a host."

"What…?" Mio began, but Colonel O'Neill cut her off.

"You need to put out a shoot to kill order on Hartmann."

"I will not put a shoot to kill order on one of the Witches," Mio told him defiantly.

The man turned to face her, "Hartmann is already dead, do you understand me? If that thing is allowed to escape, then she is going to see every atrocity that thing commits, a prisoner inside her own body, having to live in a nightmare, do you want that for her?"

"I will not give that order!"

"You think I've never had to give such an order? I've had to kill one of my friends myself. Now you give that order."

* * *

Yoshika ran to the brig as fast as she could, forgetting the MP 40 and PPK. When she arrived, she found both Teal'c and Barkhorn wounded. And who was doing his best to limit the bleeding.

"Move over," Yoshioka said quickly as she began healing Barkhorn, who was the most badly injured.

took up a covering position near the entrance to the cell. "Major's orders are to heal these two and stay put."

* * *

Teshak felt the chest of his new body and shook his head. This would not do. He needed something flatter, taller, preferably male.

"Erica, what are you doing here?" a red a hired woman asked as she ran down the hall, proffering a rifle and a handgun.

Teshak put a hand on his stomach and leaned forward, "Argh, it hurts!"

"What is it?" the red head asked, running to Teshak and sounding very worried, "Are you hurt?"

Just as the woman put a hand on Teshak's shoulder, he couldn't help but smile. He grabbed the back of the red haired woman's head and pulled her down so that their lips locked.

* * *

Eila slowly nudged her way around the corner, keeping herself low and her StG 44 high.

"Clear," she said quietly to Lynette, who she had been partnered with for the sweep of the facility for the Goa'uld, who had apparently taken over Hartmann. Orders where to shoot on sight, however Eila doubted that would happen. When there had been orders to shoot down Yoshika, no one had followed those orders. Both had agreed that they would fire if they needed – both had heard stories about the Goa'uld from – but they would aim for her arms and legs. "Move up."

Lynette rounded the corner, looking down the sight of her Karabiner 98k. She may dress like a civilian, and act like a civilian, but that girl was a rifleman, Eila had enough military experience to know that.

The two continued their sweep, and another two hallways later, they saw Hartmann. Neither fired though. The Karlslander was on the ground, hair and clothes a mess.

"We found, Hartmann," Eila said over the radio while Lynette checked the blond girl, "Unconscious by the looks of it."

"Teshak must have moved on," Major Carter replied over the radio.

"Red hair," Lynette muttered.

"What?" Eila asked, turning around to see the Britannian pointing at a few strands of red hair in Hartmann's hand. "The Commander," Eila said into her radio, "It's in the Commander."

Unfortunately, not everyone was in radio contact, with two groups not hearing that the Goa'uld had a new host.

* * *

"Take her to the brig," Mio ordered of Eila and Lynette while she and Sanya patrolled the halls. Unlike the other Witches, Mio hadn't grabbed a rifle or a submachine gun, she had gotten her sidearm – a Belgican designed FN Model 1910 since all Fuso officers were expected to purchase their own sidearms, and European weapons were generally of higher quality – and Reppumaru. "Everyone else, keep an eye out for the Commander." She turned to the Orussia, "You get that, Sanya?"

"Got it," an unusually affirmative sounding Sanya said, keeping her MP 40 up the whole time the two had been patrolling together. The girl was terrified of the Goa'uld, and was likely a hair's breadth away from shooting Mio by accident.

* * *

Jack heard someone scream from down the hall, followed by two gunshots. He and Flying Officer Clostermann – who was armed with a Karabiner 98k – ran towards the sound. One and a half hallways later, they found Minna lying on the ground, panting for breath, a bullet wound in her left leg.

"Commander," Clostermann said frantically, rushing to her side.

"Step back," Jack ordered, "I've got more medical training than you, just cover us."

The Gallian stepped back and raised her rifle while Jack stepped next to Minna, putting down his P90, "Minna, you still conscious?"

"… neghw… uh… Colonel?" she muttered.

"Yeah, I'm here, Min." Jack pulled his radio up to his mouth, "I found the Commander. She's wounded, east side of the base, third corridor."

There was no reply.

"God dammit, radio's out again." Jack tore off part of the Commander's shirt and used it as a tourniquet for her wound, and then threw her over his shoulders. "Let's go Clostermann, Commander needs help."

"Co… Colonel…" Minna tried to speak.

"Save your energy," he told.

"Look… at me…"

Jack looked at the woman over his shoulder, and she planted her lips on his. He immediately knew that she had the Goa'uld in her, and it was about to go into him. He did the only thing he could think to do, bite down on the Goa'uld symbiote.

He collapsed to the ground, spitting the severed head of the serpent on the ground, scratching his throat in the process, and spitting as much of the disgusting bile and blood out of his mouth as possible. Minna hit the ground with a thud, eyes wide, but unconscious.

With a hand on his throat and still retching from the experience, Jack grabbed the 'neck' and yanked the corpse of the parasite out of the Karlslander's mouth and throat. Followed by vomiting, coughing and sputtering. "Get… medic… Miyafuji!" he managed to get out before coughing and retching again. He never wanted one of those things near him again.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter twelve

Extra beds had been needed to be set up in the infirmary to accommodate Minna, Hartmann, Barkhorn, Teal'c, and the Colonel. Since the Commander was laid up, Mio was in charge, and in spite of Miyafuji's protests that both Teal'c and Barkhorn were fine, and their protests too for that matter, the Major had insisted that they remain to regain some strength before being put back on duty. And with Barkhorn laid up, the only person to act as Mio's second was Shirley.

"They won't get better any faster with you sitting here," Shirley told Mio gently. Mio had watched over them for most of the day. She worried about all of them save Teal'c and Barkhorn – who were arm wrestling at the time and ignoring Shirley and the Major – but she worried the most about Minna.

Mio sighed, "You're right. Okay, let's go get something to eat."

Shirley helped the Major up, saying, "Good, I'm starved," and then picked up her Thompson. Although the Goa'uld was dead, there was a chance that there could be more in or around the base, so Mio had left the order for everyone to be armed for combat.

"This was the most eventful morning we've had in a long time," Shirley commented as they made their way to the dining hall where Lynette and Yoshika had no doubt prepared lunch. "Even the Neuroi don't cause this much trouble."

"That is true. And it worries me. Don't let me forget to ask SG-1 to do some formal weapons training with us. Their weapons would likely be better if such a situation were to occur again."

"Don't worry," Shirley told her, putting the submachine gun over her shoulders and resting her hands on it, "Those M4s of theirs are lighter and more powerful than my Thompson, make another situation such as this one easier to deal with."

"Indeed."

* * *

Jack shook his head at Teal'c and Barkhorn, who were still arm wrestling, and had been for at a stalemate for the last hour or two.

"Afternoon, Colonel," Sam said as she came in to the infirmary, "how are you feeling."

Jack spread his hands, "I've had worse meals; kind of scratched my throat though."

"I imagine it would have."

"Don't worry, Major, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about the other two." He looked at Minna and Hartmann.

"The doctor says they'll be fine, but they'll be laid up for a couple weeks." Sam leaned forward and whispered, "Don't worry, I'm sure it could be arranged for them to be sent to their rooms, and then you could spend some quality time with the Commander."

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but Sam smiled and winked, saying, "Don't worry, I'll keep your little secret."

Jack had completely forgotten about Minna's plan during the morning's events. "H-how did you know about that?"

"Let's just call it a woman's intuition," she grinned.

Jack just shook his head and dropped the subject. "Do you know when I can get out? I haven't seen a nurse all day."

"I'm afraid I don't know, sir. I can go get Sergeant Miyafuji and ask her if you want?"

Jack held up his hand, "no, no, don't trouble yourself. Why don't you get back to that project of yours, that's an order."

Sam stood up and salute, "Yes, sir." And with that she walked off.

* * *

Two days after the attack, everyone but Minna and Hartmann had been discharged from the infirmary. Mio had visited Minna everyday, and without orders, Barkhorn had guarded the infirmary while both her countrymen were hospitalised, having her StG 44 ready to fire at the slightest sign of trouble from anyone. And Shirley, Shirley had stood by Mio's side like a loyal second officer. Mio's opinion of the Liberian had improved greatly since she became her acting second in command. Mio used to think that she was too casual, and didn't take her position as Flight Lieutenant seriously. Mio knew better now, Shirley had taken to her extra responsibility like a fish to water.

"It's been just nearly two hours, Major," Shirley informed her CO, tapping her gently on the shoulder, "Time to go."

Mio got up from her friend's side slowly and said, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is."

"Mi… Mio…" Minna muttered quietly, slowly opening her eyes.

"I'm here, Minna," Mio said, rushing to the bedside and grabbing her friend's hand, "It's alright." Mio turned to Shirley, "Water, quickly."

Shirley wordlessly ran to the other side of the room, where a pitcher of water sat and filled a glass for the Commander.

"Thankyou," Minna said after finishing the full glass and sitting up, "that thing…?"

"It's dead," Mio told the Karlslander reassuringly, "the Colonel killed it."

"Hartmann?"

"Alive. Unconscious, but alive."

"Did anyone else get hurt?"

Mio shook her head, "No, everyone else is fine."

Minna sighed with relief and lay back down, "I could feel that thing inside me. I saw everything it made me do…" she started to weep, "… it made me shoot myself in the leg… it…"

Mio embraced her friend, and held her tightly, "It's oaky, Minna, it's okay. That thing's dead."

Mio held her friend for just over half an hour before the Karlslander let go. "Thankyou, Mio." She wiped a final tear from her eye and went to climb out of bed, "You can brief me on what…"

"Not a chance," Mio said firmly, pushing the Commander back into the bed with little effort. "You're going to be laid up for at least another two weeks according to the doctor." Mio smiled, "get some rest, I'll see you again in the morning."

* * *

Lynne laid on her stomach on the east garden of the base, here ears, hair and tail blowing in the strong winds, one of SG-1's M82s in her arms. Her target was a buoy bobbing on the ocean. Distance: approximately 1650 yards. Elevation: ranging between -5 feet and +2 feet. Wind speed: 34 knots.

"What's taking you so long?" Colonel O'Neill asked impatiently, "From what I hear, this should be a cakewalk for you."

"I'm trying my best, sir," she replied nervously. She had learnt to get along well with the Colonel, until he started showing her how to use the Barrett M82, then he got slightly scary.

Lynne took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.

"Five centimetres off bullseye," Colonel O'Neill informed her, "not good enough. Again." Lynne was beginning to think he was as hard a trainer as Major Sakamoto, if not harder.

"At least two centimetres from the bullseye if you want to eat tonight."

"Yes, sir," Lynne said, squeezing the trigger again.

"Five centimetres again."

Lynne continued to fire until she needed to reload.

"Well, I'm confident that you won't hurt yourself with that thing," the Colonel told her, "Don't come inside until you hit within two centimetres of the bullseye, or night fall. Whichever comes first."

* * *

"Rifles up," the Colonel called, Eila, Sanya, Perrine and Lucchini raising the M4 carbines that he had brought from his universe. They were in the west garden of the base, several wooden boards set up as targets ranging from fifty to a hundred paces away.

"Safeties off."

They followed the order. Eila had to say she liked the new weapon so far. It was lighter than her submachine gun and more comfortable.

"Fire," the Colonel said, using a laser designator – a device that projects a red dot onto whatever surface it points at – at various targets that he had set up. Like Major Sakamoto, Colonel O'Neill's approach to training was feet first into the fire.

After five minutes and four reloads later, the Colonel called out, "Alright, keep going for another hour or so until you understand how these weapons work."

* * *

"Training's handled for the day," Jack told Major Sakamoto as he whipped his hands together, standing in front of Minna's desk which Mio was using.

"That was quick," she commented, looking up from her paperwork.

"I told them to keep doing it till their done, should keep 'em busy for a few hours."

The Major grimaced, possibly displeased with Jack's methods, but seemed to let it go. "I recall…"

"Got it!" Shirley shouted proudly as she burst into the room, cutting off the Major and waving a sheet of paper in her hand as she swaggered over to the desk.

"The latest issue of Times Magazine?" Jack joked as the Liberian slammed the paper onto the desk.

"Requisition orders actually," the Major replied, picking up the paper with a slight smile.

"Oh, and what did you request?" Jack asked with his usual smart ass tone.

"Nothing that you need to know about," the Major told him, mimicking his tone as Shirley stood with her hands behind her back behind and slightly to the left of the Major, before resuming her usual tone, "As I was saying, I recall you saying something about Naquadah weapons?"

"That was Sam and Daniel actually, but yes, it was mentioned. What was it you wanted to know about them?"

The Fuso woman leaned forward and rested her chin on her clenched hands, "How effective will they be against the Neuroi and how many can you make?"

"Naquadah weapons, the ones that we can make anyway, are Naquadah _bombs_, and they're like really powerful nukes. And we might have enough for one or two bombs, but I think Sam would get upset because she can't make a Naquadah generator."

"What is a nuke?" the Major asked, tilting her head slightly.

_That's right, nuke was dropped on Japan in '45, maybe it hasn't been used yet_, Jack thought to himself. "It makes a huge explosion. One bomb could level a city."

"Sweet Jesus," Shirley muttered behind her hand with a gasp.

Major Sakamoto's eyes widened and her jaw dropped, "Tha… that's…"

Jack nodded, "Yes, it is." He couldn't bring himself to tell the woman that her country had been the target of these weapons in his universe. "If you want to use them against that huge Hive in the north, you'll need a delivery system, and to evacuate everyone you don't want dead. Discussing it with the Generals would probably be a good idea as well, but good luck explaining us." Jack jabbed a thumb in his chest.

Major Sakamoto regained some control over herself, "I see."

"Listen, before you go deciding whether or not to use one, why don't you send me and Sam on a recon to check out this Hive. We might be able to figure out something else to use or at the worst rig a payload just big enough to do the problem."

"Yes. Yes, I think that would be a good idea. I'll have Lucchini and Miyafuji carry you within a few clicks. You leave at oh-five-hundred, Wednesday."

"Aye, aye," Jack said with a half hearted salute and left. _That gives me and Sam two days to study the maps and wrangle up some equipment_.

* * *

Minna sat up in her hospital bed reading _Down and Out in Paris and London_ by GeorgeOrwell, while Hartmann slept.

"Knock, knock," Jack said, sticking his head through the door, the rest of him being stopped by an arm belonging Trude, who was still guarding the entrance, "hope you two are behaving?"

Hartmann answered with a snore while Minna marked her page and put the book down. "Good afternoon, Jack."

"May I come in?"

Again, Hartmann answered with a snore.

"Come on in," Minna told him with a relieved smile, "I could do with some conversation."

Hartmann rolled over so that she was face down and waved her hand at Minna, grumbling something unintelligible.

Jack walked over and pulled up a chair next to the bed, "You been doing okay stuck with her?" Jack poked his thumb at Hartmann, who returned the favour with an upright middle finger. For someone who was asleep, she was surprisingly responsive.

"I've been doing fine, no different to when you checked in this morning."

"Yeah, well FührerSakamoto is sending Sam and me on a scouting mission to evaluate the Hive."

Minna chuckled at FührerSakamoto.  
She knew she shouldn't have considering what she had heard about the last Führer from Jack's universe, but she did, before growing serious, "Why wasn't I consulted?"

"You're on sick leave," Jack pointed out with a smarmy look on his face, "and will be for some time so stop worrying and relax. Lord knows you need it."

"Har, har," she sneered. "Back to your mission?"

He held up his hand and nodded, "Yeah. I told the Major about Naquadah bombs, and suggested that Sam and I have a look-see, figure out if we can rig up a bomb just powerful enough to knock out the hive…"

"Exactly how powerful are these bombs?"

"Like I told the Major and Shirley, we can make them powerful enough to level cities."

Minna had to put a hand over her mouth to stop herself cursing.

The no longer semi-conscious Hartmann didn't do the same however. The blond rolled over and sat up in the same motion, eyes wide and mouth agape, "Are you fucking serious?!"

Jack nodded.

"Jesus Christ," Hartmann muttered, shaking her head and staring off into space.

Jack clicked his fingers to get Minna's attention, "You still listening?"

"Yes, sorry. I'm just surprised by the power of the Naquadah bombs."

"Most of you are. Anyway, the Major said that Sergeant Miyafuji and Pilot Officer Lucchini will fly us within a few clicks, but we have to walk the rest of the way."

Minna shook her head, and got out of bed saying, "No, this isn't the sort of mission those two should be sent on," only to be stopped by the Colonel lifting her up in his arms and putting her back in the bed.

"You're off duty, remember. Major Sakamoto is the acting CO and you need to have some faith in her. Now, if you try and get up again, I'll tell Barkhorn and she'll guard from inside the room."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter thirteen

Both Jack and Sam were dressed in Ghillie suits, Sam armed with her usual P90 and Zat gun combination, while Jack had was armed with an M9 and a scoped Karabiner 98k, which while he was more familiar with the M82s that were available, the Karabiner and its ammunition was much lighter and better suited for scouting operations.

When the Major had said that Sergeant Miyafuji and Pilot Officer Lucchini were taking them, he had expected them to drive a car or something. Instead, both he and Sam were being carried in the arms of the girls while they flew them to the drop off point. Sure, they had been carried for the Neuroi ambush, but that was under different circumstances.

"We'll wait here for you," Pilot Officer Lucchini said as she and Sergeant Miyafuji dropped the two members of SG-1 to the ground. "But if you haven't made contact with us by sundown, we have orders to leave."

"Got it," Jack said, making sure his equipment was all in place. "Alright, Sam, let's go."

The two walked north, towards the Hive. They had quite a hike ahead of them, having just been dropped off at the border of Neuroi controlled territory, a 60 km hike in fact. Several times they had to stop and stay in cover as a Neuroi flew overhead or walked by. Mostly they stayed to the forested areas where their Ghillie suits would be of most use, and only ran out into the open if there was no other way across.

Finally, they were in visual range of the Hive.

"Good lord," Jack said as he looked at it through his rifle's sight, "That thing is huge. Any ideas about the bomb size, Sam?" There were dozens of Neuroi aircraft patrolling the Hive, as well as a few of what Jack had been told were Turtle Shells – a ground type Neuroi that was named after its shape – patrolling the ground.

Sam was using Jack's binoculars, "I can't say for sure, sir, but at least a fifty megaton yield and we'll need some way to deliver it to the base of the Hive."

"Do we have enough Naquadah for that?"

"More than enough, sir," Sam replied, a hint of pride in her voice.

"Alright, let's go back…" Jack paused as he saw one of the Neuroi patrols flying in their direction. "Head down!" he whispered, pushing Sam's head down.

"That was close," Sam muttered as they slowly crawled backwards down the hill after the Neuroi had passed.

"I think we're in the clear," Jack said when they reached the bottom of the slope and stood up. He was quickly proved wrong by the screech of one of the lightest classes of Neuroi and a red beam from the same foe. "Shit," Jack cursed as he raised his Karabiner 98k and Sam upholstered her Zat gun. The Major fired at the small craft with rapid succession, Jack doing the same. The small vessel began to disintegrate after the fifth Zat gun shot. It didn't take much to kill the smaller classes. Jack grabbed Sam's shoulder, "Let's move, double time!"

They began to run back to the waiting Witches, avoiding open ground whenever possible as they had when they had come up. "Lucchini, Miyafuji!" Jack shouted into his radio, "We're being pursued by Neuroi patrols, unlikely to make it back. Tell a fifty plus megaton yield to destroy the Hive! Go, get out of here!"

* * *

"Go, Get out of here!" The Colonel ordered over the radio, making Yoshika jump and Lucchini fall out of the tree she was sleeping in.

"Tell us where you are," Yoshika said, jumping into her Strikers while Lucchini pushed herself off the ground, "We'll come and get you."

"Negative! Report back to Jackson, he's the only one who can make the bomb now!"

"No, we'll come get you!" Yoshika yelled at him.

"Dammit, woman, get your…" there was only static.

"Colonel!? Colonel?!"

There was no response.

"Colonel, we're coming!"

"No," Lucchini said, revving up her Strikers' magical engines, "We can't go in there. The Major will yell at us."

"But they'll be killed!" Yoshika pleaded.

"And so will we," Lucchini growled, "There are a hundred miles between us and the Colonel, and over a thousand Neuroi!"

Yoshika looked around, frantically searching her brain for a reason to go after Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, "But what about the Commander? We can't just leave the Colonel to the Neuroi, she'll be heart broken."

Lucchini grabbed both of Yoshika's shoulders and looked her sternly in the face, "Listen to me, if you and me go in there, we'll get killed and Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter will get killed. What we need to do is go back to the base and get reinforcements, okay?"

Yoshika nodded. Although Lucchini was right, it still felt like she was abandoning the two SG-1 personnel.

The two revved their engines a bit more and flew back to base.

* * *

"Dammit woman," Jack yelled at Sergeant Miyafuji, "get your…" A red beam streaked across his vision, only just missing his face by millimetres and destroying the top half of his radio. "Shit!" he cursed, and then turned back to Sam, "just keep running!"

* * *

As soon as Teal'c had heard the news that Major Carter and Colonel O'Neill were stuck deep in enemy territory, he had went straight to Major Sakamoto, fully dressed in his combat attire with his staff weapon in hand, "I request permission to go after Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter.

"Denied," the Major said without looking up from her paperwork.

"We cannot simply leave them," he implored.

She looked up at him, appearing very serious, "I know that; however we can't spare the people to go looking for them. It's far too dangerous.

* * *

A large enemy vessel flew overhead. Both Jack and Sam were neck deep in the bushes. They had been doing fairly well so far, considering how dangerous their foe was. A bit over half an hour after first being spotted by the Neuroi, the SG-1 members had lost the enemy in the trees, and they had been very slow in their crawl back to the evac site.

"I wonder if they have thermal vision." Sam wondered aloud, looking at the azure sky. The sun was setting.

"I don't know," Jack muttered, "right now, I think it's best if we stay put and eat while there's still light. It's going to be a cold night."

"Yes, sir," Sam said quietly as they both lowered themselves into the bushes.

"Relax, Major, We've been in worse situations than this, remember all those times the Goa'uld nearly destroyed the planet?" the Colonel joked reassuringly.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

Sanya yawned. She was only halfway through her nightshift, but she was tired nonetheless; always had a lot of questions whenever she had to stay with him in the library, and those questions disrupted her sleeping.

Off in the distance, towards Neuroi occupied territory, she saw the light of a fire. It wasn't very large, and it was likely that she could only see it due to her magically enhanced sight.

Sanya stopped and thought about her options. She was still some distance from Neuroi occupied territory, so the chances of it being a trap were low. It could possibly be some people who need help, though that was what most Neuroi traps looked like.

Making an executive decision, the Orussian decided to investigate. If it was a trap, then she would be able to distract the Neuroi with her Fliegerhammer and if she couldn't get away, at least no one else would get hurt. Besides, the Major would get angry if she didn't investigate.

* * *

"We have to be getting close," Jack muttered to himself. Both he and Sam had been stranded for three days, and were very low on food. One chocolate bar was all they had left, and that was to be split in the morning so that they had a bit of energy to start the day.

Sam mumbled something in her sleep and Jack noticed that the fire was beginning to dwindle, so he threw another log on it. It was his turn to take watch, and though he still had the Karabiner 98k, the magazine of ammo currently in the weapon was all that remained. Sam wasn't in a much better situation with her P90, only having a magazine and a half left.

Jack's stomach grumbled. They'd better find the base soon; otherwise hunger will kill them, that was if thirst or exhaustion don't get them first.

* * *

The fire began to grow brighter, but not because Sanya was getting closer, the fire was getting bigger. That settled it, no way that was a Neuroi ambush, there were people there. Neuroi ambush fires were always constant, using gas.

Sanya decided to do a quick, low flyby to see who it was and if they were okay. She pulled into a slow dive.

* * *

Jack paced back and forth with a large rock in his shoe, doing what he could to remain awake. He just didn't have the energy.

He could hear the roar of engines off in the distance. Jack turned to see something dropping in altitude. It was small, too small to be a plane, but it sounded like a plane. He knew exactly what, or rather, who it was. It was a Witch.

Jack quickly shook the Major awake.

* * *

As Sanya flew closer, she saw two figures waving their hands and yelling. She couldn't tell who they were, but she could make out that they were in trouble. They just had two weapons and a fire, there was no sign of any vehicles or other supplies, and they were in the middle of nowhere.

Sanya altered her approach slightly for a landing. She needed to find out exactly what was wrong before she called for help.

Just prior to landing, Sanya cold make out who the two were. It was the missing Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter.

"It's good to see you, Pilot Officer Litvyak," the Colonel said.

"I-it's good to see you too," Sanya said, not really sure how to respond, but knowing that she had to say something to them. She got on her radio, "This is Sanya to base."

"This is base," the operator, Shirley, answered, "reading you loud and clear."

"I've found the Colonel and the Major, requesting food, water and medical attention." Sanya relayed her position.

"Copy that, Sanya. Yoshika and Perrine, en route."

"Don't worry, help is on its way," Sanya told the pair.

"You don't happen to have any food or water on you now, do you?" the Major asked.

"Um," Sanya began going through the little equipment that she carried, and produced a small canteen, throwing it to the Major, "Yes, here you go."

Major Carter caught the canteen and guzzled half of it, handing the rest to the Colonel, who guzzled the rest and then handed Sanya back the empty canteen, "Thank you."

* * *

When Jack left the infirmary after the doctors finished checking he and Sam over, he began to stumble down the halls and to the room he shared with the rest of SG-1, when a hand pulled him into another room. The Colonel stumbled as the hand let go, and the person to whom the hand belonged to caught him. He looked up to see Commander Minna smiling at him and realised he was in her room. "Be a bit strange if you didn't spend the night with me, yes?"

"I suppose," he shrugged as she lifted him back onto his feet. "I thought you were meant to be laid up for a few weeks?"

"I was, but the doctor decided to let me and Hartmann out. But, we're still off duty. At least Trude has calmed down a bit and settled for carrying a StG 44 wherever she goes, rather than screening everyone that wants access to Hartmann and I."

"So what have you been spending your time doing?" Jack asked, collapsing onto the bed. He didn't care what the Commander said; he would sleep in a bed this night.

"I've been helping in the library. He can really talk a lot."

"That's an under statement," he muttered, drifting off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen

It took weeks for Sam and Jack to fully recover, and two more weeks on top of that for the Commander and Hartmann to be cleared for duty.

"It's good to be back," Minna said, stretching herself out in her chair, "I've missed this seat."

"Considering how much you've been whining about not being able to do anything, I'm surprised you didn't hold the Major at gunpoint," Jack joked, leaning on the wall.

"Very funny," she said dryly, rolling her eyes, "But now that I'm back home, why don't we get down to business?"

Jack nodded, "Okay."

"First order of business, I think we've strung the others along for long enough, tonight we reveal our 'relationship'."

Jack shrugged, "Alright, do it about dinner time?"

"Agreed."

* * *

"And… just about… done!" The ominous machine Sam had been tinkering with began to hum menacingly.

"Are you seriously going to wear that?" Shirley asked. Having been relieved of her duties as acting second, she could continue her work with the SG-1 scientist on creating a Striker that could be used without magic, something the Liberian thought was never going to work, but it had been fun… until Sam had began work on the man portable Naquadah power plant, which from what Shirley had heard, was far too much like a Naquadah _bomb_ to be safe.

"I assure you it's safe. But if it starts to click or appear to pulsate, get about four or five kilometres away."

"You're not filling me with confidence," Shirley told the blond, taking a step back.

Sam shook her head, "Just help me hook this thing up."

Shirley helped to carry the Naquadah power plant to a high table that sat behind a set of Strikers. The Strikers were the same model as Shirley's, the P-51D Mustang, but you wouldn't know it from looking at them, they looked more like a mash-up between a P-51, a Volkswagen Kübelwagen and the mangled wreck of a small Karlslander U-boat. All up, it was a monstrosity. "I still don't think that thing is safe either."

"Just start connecting wires," Sam sighed.

Shirley followed the order.

"Are you sure I can't leave my pants on?" Sam asked once all the wires had been connected.

"Affirmative," Shirley smirked. If the other woman was going to risk all of their lives, the least she could do was be embarrassed.

Sam sighed, "Very well." She stuck her thumbs in her pants and pulled them off in a single action, her boots coming off with the pants. Shirley had to admit, that was impressive.

The American climbed into the Strikers and asked Shirley to help her put the miniature power plant on, something the Liberian was all too happy to help with since it meant that the dangerous device could be taken fat from the base… assuming it didn't explode and kill them all. "Remember what I told you?" she asked.

"Yep," Sam said confidently.

* * *

An explosion shook through the base, and a moment later, Shirley was shouting over the intercom, "Miyafuji to the hanger, Miyafuji to the hanger!"

Even though the two were in the middle of training, both Teal'c and Mio's heads shot up. They immediately ran to the hanger, even though the call wasn't for them. Mio didn't know about Teal'c, but she had limited medical knowledge and knew that Miyafuji was much farther from the scene than her.

When the two arrived, Mio took in everything at once. The was a large scorch mark on the ground near Shirley's 'workshop', Major Carter was on the ground missing her right leg – her other leg wearing what Mio had been referring to as 'the device' – was screaming in pain, Shirley was doing her best to limit the Major's bleeding, bits of metal lay scattered over the hanger, Shirley was bleeding somewhat from her forearm where she must have been hit by some of the shrapnel.

Mio rushed to Shirley's side, taking off her Jacket to use as a makeshift tourniquet, but Teal'c had gotten there first with his shirt already around the wound.

"What happened?" Mio asked, though she could guess. Among those who knew about the Naquadah bomb, most did not like the idea of Major Carter making a Naquadah generator.

"The Striker just exploded after she started it up…" Major Carter and passed out, "… I called Miyafuji as soon it happened and went to stop the bleeding."

"What about you, are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine."

Mio looked pointedly at Shirley's shoulder.

Shirley looked at her shoulder too, "When did… never mind, I'll survive."

Mio nodded and concentrated back on Major Carter.

"What happened?!" Miyafuji demanded as she burst into the hanger with Lynne in tow.

"Major Carter is badly injured, get over here!"

Mio stepped aside so that Miyafuji could get to the patient. "What about you, Shirley?" the medic asked professionally.

"I'm fine," the Liberian said firmly, probably feeling guilty about Major Carter.

After a moment, Miyafuji said, "Okay, it should be okay to move her now."

* * *

"How long will she be out?" Jack asked, looking at Major Carter. All of SG-1 were gathered in the infirmary, along with Lynette, Minna, Shirley and Miyafuji.

"I don't know," Miyafuji answered, "I've never had to heal anything like this before."

"Think you can get her leg back?" asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Not if I keep getting distracted," Miyafuji growled. Minna knew it was rare for the girl to snap like that, and decided it best to usher everyone out of the room.

"Come on, let's leave Miyafuji to work."

"God dammit!" Jack cursed once he and Minna were back in the Commander's office, "What the hell was she thinking!?"

"She was thinking about your planet's survival, and ours," Minna told him, quite intent on not having to put up with any whiney crap.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" he demanded angrily, "Getting herself killed is going to help everyone is it?"

"Use your head!" she shouted, pointing a finger in the general direction of the infirmary. "Think about what that technology could do? We could mobilise the entire army when those Strikers are fully developed, we could remove the Neuroi with ease, you could defeat the Goa'uld System Lords in a week!"

"So what?!" Jack spat, "So, bloody, what?" He took a deep breath to calm himself, "I've been around long enough to know that the best of intentions don't always yield the best results."

"I know what you mean," Minna said quietly.

"Yeah right," the Colonel scoffed.

Minna sat on the edge of her table, "With all due respect, Colonel, I've been in this fight since it started six years ago, I know exactly what you mean. I've seen my fair share of lives wasted because some General thought it was worth the cost."

"That's not what I'm talking about," the Colonel growled, baring his teeth, "she put her life at risk out of curiosity!"

"Isn't that what you guys do one a daily basis?!" Minna growled back, jumping up from the desk and getting up in the Colonel's face.

"That's different and you now it!" Jack yelled.

"How?!" Minna yelled back.

"We do it for the sake of our planet!"

"And that's what she did!" Minna swung her fist at nothing, "Are you even trying to understand?!"

Jack held his hands up near his face in exasperation, "I am _trying_ to understand, believe me, I am _trying_ to understand why one of my team felt it necessary to risk their life with such a thing." He shook his head and sighed, "Let's just drop it. How long till the V2 gets here?" The V2 would be the delivery system for the Naquadah bomb.

Minna nodded, dropping the subject, for now at least. "At least another two weeks. You have no idea the hell I had to go through to arrange this." She had needed to call in several favours and now owed over a dozen more favours.

"Hopefully Sam will be healed by then."

"She will survive," Minna said, "But I'm not sure if she will get her leg back. Miyafuji has healed some pretty bad wounds, but nothing as extensive as this."

After a moment of silence there was a knock at the door.

"Enter," Minna called.

Lynette poked her head through the door, "Excuse me, Yoshika asked me to come and talk to Colonel O'Neill."

"Well come on," Jack said impatiently after Lynette remained quiet.

The Britannian glanced at Minna.

"Whatever you have to say to me you can say to her," Jack told her, a little too aggressively Minna thought, even given the situation.

"Um…"

"Go on," Minna said with a nod.

Lynette stepped all the way into the room, "Uh, Yoshika said that Major Carter will survive, but she is unsure if she can save the leg."

Minna looked at Jack for a second, just long enough to see the pained look on his face, and then turned her attention back to the Flight Sergeant, "Thank you, Lynette. Is that all?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Dismissed."

Lynette saluted and left.

"I'll see if I can get some other medical Witches to see if they can do anything more."

"Thankyou," Jack said quietly, staring at the ground.

* * *

Gertrude fired her StG 44 from the shoulder, her target 300m down range. It was a simple wooden board that she had stuck into one end of the garden, but it did the job. She was angry. Neuroi raids were getting more erratic and now one of SG-1 decided to go and get themselves severally injured and consume valuable resources? Maybe saying that she was angry was an understatement; she was well and truly pissed.

Her Sturmgewehr hit empty and she let it fall, the rifle hanging around her neck on a sling, and pulled out her P38, took a step forward, put one hand behind her back, and hit the mark each time she pulled the trigger.

"Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn," Teal'c said as he approached, "Are you unwell?"

"What makes you say that?" the Karlslander growled, reloading her P38.

"You are acting rather hostile. From what I have heard of you are normally much calmer."

"I'd be better if you guys hadn't shown up," she growled between clenched teeth, picking up her StG and reloading that too. "You've caused no end of trouble since showing up."

"We did not choose to come to your time," he told her, tilting his head back slightly and standing taller.

"That may be true, but you didn't have to come here." She turned to him, holding her rifle in her hands, "You could have just given us the anti-Neuroi technology, and been on your way, but you had to come here and bring your enemies with you. Minna and Erica nearly died because of you!"

"The Goa'uld would have been here regardless of our arrival," Teal'c replied calmly, not a hint of anger in his voice which just made Gertrude angrier, "Had it not been for our knowledge; it is likely that all of you may have been killed."

"That thing only came here because you were here!" she yelled, "And now one of your team decided to go and put the whole base in danger!"

"Major Carter was doing what she thought was best," Teal'c countered, still calm. How could he be so calm?

Tears began to well up in Gertrude's eyes, "Did she also think it best to order Erica shot on sight when she had the Goa'uld in her?!" she began to beat her fists on Teal'c's chest, and he did nothing to stop her, "You bastards would have killed them! You would have killed Minna and Erica!"

Teal'c grabbed Gertude's arms and looked her right in the eye, he may not have sounded it, but he looked angry, "You would have preferred they live as prisoners in their own bodies? I have seen first-hand what the Goa'uld are capable of, and they would have killed countless innocents to get what they wanted. Your Commander or Pilot Officer Hartmann would be living in an un-waking nightmare. Death is a mercy for those the Goa'uld chooses as hosts. Do you think you are the only person to suffer at their hands? DanielJackson's wife was taken as a host by the wife of Apophis. We understand how you feel."

Gertrude's rage subsided, being replaced by sorrow. She looked down in shame "I… I'm sorry." She broke down into tears and buried herself in his chest, "I was so scared, I didn't know what to do, they were my friends but… but they were also the enemy and…" she stopped as she felt a hand on the back of her head.

"Have I said something to upset you?" he asked, sounding somewhat confused.

_That's right_, Gertrude told herself, _he's and alien_. "No," she said, pushing herself off his chest and him away, "It wasn't anything you said. You're a good man, Teal'c, you know that?"


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen

Jack, Daniel and Teal'c had taken it in turns to watch over Sam, and it was during one of Jack's shifts that Sam began to wake.

"Erngh… ah…" Sam sounded, shaking her head and slowly opening her eyes.

"Easy, Sam, easy," he said, trying to be as comforting and soft in his voice as possible.

"Wha…?"

Jack handed her a glass of water and helped her sit up so that she could drink, "here."

Sam coughed, "Thanks." She looked around, and then looked at her leg, which was under the blanket. "So… it wasn't a dream?"

"No," Jack said sadly, "We did all that we could, brought medical Witches from all over to see if there was anything they could do, but… I'm sorry; we couldn't save your leg."

Sam didn't say anything; she just pulled back the covers and stared at where her leg used to be.

"Sam…" Jack began after five minutes of silence, only to be cut off by Sam.

"I think I know what went wrong," she said, almost sounding exited, but still staring at her missing leg.

"Now, just hold on, Sam-"

"The sudden surge of power must have been too much for the Striker to handle. If I…"

The Colonel held up his hand, silencing the Major, "You can't honestly be thinking of continuing that project?"

Sam seemed surprised by this, "Of course. Sir, I know what went wrong; I can make it safe to use.

"Sam," Jack said sternly, "As both your commanding officer and your friend, I can't let you do this. And I doubt Commander Wilcke will allow it to continue anyway, it's too dangerous."

Sam stopped staring at her leg and stared the Colonel straight in the eye, "Sir, I can do it. If we can get this technology to work…"

"Okay, let's assume you get the go ahead for your project, no one is going to want to get in that thing now."

"I'll do it," Shirley said from the doorway, making Jack jump. She walked in a crossed her arms, "as long as you _can_ make it _safe_?"

Jack looked at Sam, who nodded confidently, "I can make it safe to fly."

* * *

There was a knock at Minna's door.

"Enter," she shouted without looking up from the intelligence reports she was looking over.

"Good afternoon, Commander," Shirley greeted pleasantly as she walked up to the desk and stood with her feet separated and her hands behind her back.

"What do you want?" Minna asked with barely a hint of interest, Shirley wouldn't be acting this nice or professional if she didn't want something.

"I would like to request that Major Carter be discharged from the infirmary."

This immediately caught Minna's attention. The Karlslander quickly looked up to see that the Liberian had a look of dead seriousness on her face. "What for?"

"It's at her own request, ma'am. I believe she wishes to continue work, and I want to help her."

Minna suspected that she knew where this was going. "My guess is that you want pilot the experimental Striker?"

Shirley looked like she was doing he best to supress a smile, and nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"Why?" Minna had to ask. After how much fuss the orange haired girl had made about how dangerous it was.

Shirley grinned in an almost an enthusiastically evil manner, her eyes mimicking the style, but otherwise her expression didn't change; "because I think it can let me go faster."

Minna raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Think about it, Commander, Sam has explained to me the basics of how the Naquadah bombs and Naquadah generators work, and if the amount of Naquadah in her current generator has enough energy to destroy a city, then imagine how fast it could let someone fly."

Minna didn't like how Shirley was beginning to sound, she sounded insane. "Flight Lieutenant, I think you need to take a few days off to rest."

Shirley blinked, "What?"

Minna got up and stood eye to eye with the Liberian, barely an arm's length away, "You need some rest, Shirley, you've been working yourself pretty hard lately."

"But that's… wait, you know about that?!" Shirley was referring to the work she had continued on her and Sam's project. After the initial shock of what had happened had passed, Minna had noticed Shirley sneaking away to the hanger every now and then, but there had been very little work done her Strikers. Minna suspected that the Liberian had been working on the Naquadah Strikers, but hadn't had any solid evidence, until now.

"Area Analysis, remember?" Everyone always forgot that for some reason.

"Oh, well…" Shirley was struggling to find something to say.

Minna sighed, "Take a couple of days to rest, and then I will order that the Major be discharged from the infirmary and you two can continue your work… you will observe proper safety procedures this time."

"Thank you, ma'am," Shirley said, even throwing in a slight bow and quickly running off.

"You're growing too soft," Mio said as she entered through the side door that was reserved for her, Minna and the Colonel, a door that led directly to the CIC.

"And you're growing nosy," Minna retorted, "really, eaves dropping, Mio?"

"My ear was not against the door, if that's what you are implying. The door is simply thin enough for me to hear what happens clearly from the hall. But don't change the subject; you shouldn't be letting them continue the Naquadah Striker project."

"Can you imagine how quickly this war could have ended if we had this technology at the start of the war? If we could have armed all soldiers, then maybe children wouldn't have been forced into service, people like Erica, and Trude and Lynette, and all of them wouldn't have had to put their lives in danger."

"Do you forget that this Naquadah element doesn't naturally occur on earth? And that fact the one of the main reason why Witches are so effective against the Neuroi threat is our shields. We have yet to be shown any evidence that suggests this Naquadah element allows people to make shields. They'd just fly out there like cattle for the slaughter."

"You and I have both seen our fair share of Witches that couldn't raise a shield to save their lives, and they went on the destroy dozens of Neuroi Cores, so don't give me that rubbish. We could very well find a way to end the war once and for all with these new Strikers."

"Dammit!" Mio cursed, banging her fist on the table, "this is foolish, we should be saving all the Naquadah we have to construct the bombs! We _know_ that they will work, unlike these Strikers!"

"I will take that under advisement, Major," Minna said between clenched teeth. She took her seat behind the desk and rested her chin on her hand, "Now, what is it you came in for?"

Mio looked very upset, but she remained professional. "Radar picked a scout class Neuroi forty minutes away, en route from Blato to Taranto."

"Send Hartmann and Barkhorn, and put Shirley and Lucchini on standby armed with a Zat gun," Minna ordered.

"I thought you wanted Shirley to take a break?" Mio asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"I doubt a simple scout class will cause much trouble for either Barkhorn or Hartmann. Putting Lucchini and Shirley on standby is no more than a technicality, they won't really be needed."

"Very well," Mio nodded, "I had best return to my work."

Minna nodded and the Major left.

Minna waited a good five minutes before giving out a deep sigh and putting her head on the table. She hated fighting with Mio, and it wasn't often that the two would disagree so strongly on a subject. Both of them could be stubborn when they felt so strongly about a subject, and as such, this could be dragged out for weeks.

* * *

"Nothing fancy," Trude told Erica as they flew to the target.

"Yeah, yeah, go by the book," Erica said, rolling her eyes, the wind blowing through her hair, the buzz of Striker propellers and magical engines in her ears.

"I'm serious, Hartmann," Trude said in a voice that brokered no nonsense, "Don't go fooling around. We take it out and go home."

"Are you in hurry or something?" Erica asked with a hint of mischief in her voice.

"N-no. I just want to get this over and done with.

Erica rolled her eyes again. Trude normally only got this way when her little sister was concerned. _Maybe she got some bad news?_ "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," Trude said sternly.

Erica gave her friend a concerned look, but it didn't last long because Trude said, "Enemy spotted. Bearing two, nine, nine, three, moving to intercept."

"Copy that," the Major replied over the radio, "Keep us posted."

Trude and Erica banked to the right and took aim. The triangular Neuroi hadn't noticed them yet, and so was unprepared for the barrage of 7.92mm rounds that struck it, and went straight through it meeting no resistance.

"What the…?" Trude said as she pulled up and hovered, Erica hovering next to her.

"The bullets just went straight though," Erica commented.

The Neuroi flickered and disappeared, and a moment later a beam shot down from above the two Karlslanders, only just missing. Erica seeing a small part of her fringe disappear in the attack.

"It's a trap!" Trude shouted as the two separated, narrowly avoiding another beam.

Erica looked up and saw a dozen scout class Neuroi above. "I thought there was only meant to be one?!" Erica shouted to Trude as she fired up at the closest foe, only to have her bullets got straight through that one too.

Another beam streaked up from below, narrowly missing Erica. The blond looked down to see another dozen scout class Neuroi below them. "They're all over us!"

"Mayday, mayday, mayday," Trude was saying into her radio, "enemy numbers are…" she trailed off, seeing what Erica was shouting about, "belay that, I repeat, belay that order."

"Only one is the real one," Trude said before issuing her orders, "one burst per hostile. We need to conserve ammo until we find the real one."

"Yes, ma'am," Erica said, firing three rounds into her latest target, the ammunition going straight through.

After fifteen minutes, the Major said over the radio, "Barkhorn, Hartmann, four medium sized stingray class Neuroi are en route to your position, get out of there!"

"Negative," Trude replied, we're pinned down and nearly out of ammo. Do not send backup, I repeat, do not send backup. It's been a pleasure fighting with you Major… say goodbye to Minna for me, and tell Chris I lover her."

"Say goodbye to everyone for me too, Major," Erica asked.

There was a moment of silence before the Major replied, a hint of sadness in her voice "Copy that. Give 'em hell."

"Yessir," Erica and Trude said as one before turning off their radios.

Erica looked at Trude for orders.

Trude lifted the MG 42 in her right hand and the tossed other in the air, catching it by the barrel, that one was out of ammo. "Let's show 'em what two true soldiers of Karlsland can do."

Erica grinned as she dodged around a beam and fired three rounds at a hostile, the bullets again going straight through, "For Karlsland!" She fired at another, these three rounds connecting, "I found it!" The blond opened up, and fired her final ten or so rounds at the Neuroi as Trude came around and unleashed her last few 7.92mm rounds, not slowing down once her ammo was gone, instead speeding up, not having to worry about aiming anymore, and tore the Neuroi in half. Erica threw away her exhausted MG 42 and drew her Walther P38, finishing off the Core of the scout class Neuroi, which might as well have been protected with fine china for how much power was needed to destroy one. All the spectres of the Neuroi disappeared with the original.

Erica and Trude flew to one another, out of breath.

"You think we… can make it back?" Erica asked between breaths. There was no sight of the stingray class Neuroi yet, so Erica thought there might be a good chance they would survive, so long as they could get away.

"We won't… be able to… out run them," Trude replied, "and if we… go back, the other… Witches would get involved… and the Neuroi would call for backup. Even with SG-1 and the anti-Neuroi technology, few of us would survive."

"Good point." Erica drew her combat knife, something she had never thought she would get the opportunity to use, or even need to carry for that matter, and twirled her Walther in her hand once with a grin, "Like you said, let's show them what true soldiers of Imperial Karlsland are capable of."

This brought a slight smile to Trude's face, the brown haired girl drawing her Walther and combat knife, "Spoken like a true Karlslander."

The two faced where they thought the enemy would come from and waited. And waited. And waited.

Trude looked at the sun, which had nearly set. "Are they even going to show up?"

"Maybe we frightened them off?" Erica shrugged.

Trude gave her one of those you've-got-to-be-kidding-me looks.

Erica shrugged again, "Hey, it could happen, we're two of the world's greatest aces after all. They might have seen what we did here and decided it wasn't worth it."

"Even in the face of death you don't change, do you?" Trude said with a slight laugh, "Let's radio in and let them know we're alive."

"Hold on," Erica said, holding up her hand, the P38 hanging on by only the trigger guard, "let's surprise them."

"I'm not even going to explain why that is a bad idea."

"That's because you can't think of any good reasons why not, you're just being prudish," Erica accused.

Trude took a deep breath, "For one, the Major and Commander will both punish us, and the Colonel will probably get a piece as well. For starters, we will be court marshalled and thrown in prison, possibly put in front of a firing squad, and that's the best case scenario."

"What's the worst case scenario?"

"We get shot with the anti-Neuroi guns once, so that we're in pain, and unable to stop whatever happens, then we would be tied up by our wrists and ankles, and our eyeballs slit. Slowly, they would pull out our finger and toe nails, and burn us with hot pokers, making sure to pour petrol into our eyes every now and then to make sure we don't pass out."

Erica gave Trude a scared look, that was far too specific to be a random example.

"Um, yeah, okay. Call it in."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen

Erica and Trude flew into the hanger to be greeted by a group of cheering Witches, and the Commander, Major, and Colonel.

"Come with us," the Commander said, almost emotionlessly, taking everyone by surprise.

The three officers led the two to the CIC.

"You know," Erica said once they got to the CIC, "I thought you guys would be a bit happier to see us."

"Don't get us wrong, we are happy that you are alive," the Commander assured them, "But we have some shocking news that we think you should know. It's about the four stingrays you didn't have to fight."

Erica and Trude exchanged a look and then were taken to a console by the major, a console that displayed the radar readout. "See these specks here," the Major circled three blobs on the edge of the screen that somewhat resembled the stingray class Neuroi, "these are the stingrays that were en route to your position." She pressed a key and the screen changed, showing several other triangular blots. She pressed it again and again and again. It looked as if the new triangles were fighting the stingrays. "Those other triangular specs, if the Colonel is to be believed, are Goa'uld death gliders."

Both Erica and Trude shot a look at Major Sakamoto, and then at Colonel O'Neill, and finally at Commander Minna. "You mean…?"

The Commander nodded, "The Goa'uld are not as weak as… our 'friend' told us."

Erica froze. The memories of that… that thing being inside of her, the nightmares she had had ever since that event. The nightmares that she could never wake from, and would plague her for the rest of her life.

"D-do the others kn-know?" a shaken Trude asked.

"No," Major Sakamoto answered, "Until we get more information, the others can't know, they don't need the added distraction."

"Don't worry, ma'am, this won't leave out lips," Trude said, going to attention and saluting.

"Hartmann?' Major Sakamoto asked after a moment of silence.

"Y-yes, ma'am," Erica replied quietly, "I will keep it a secret."

* * *

Four days later, the V2 arrived, and two days after that, Commander Minna and Jack had ordered everyone to the dining hall for an important announcement.

"I'd like to have your attention please," Minna said after clearing her throat, "I'm sure this may come as a surprise to you, but…"

"…we've been seeing each other," Jack finished for her, putting a loving arm over her shoulder."

"Pay up," Shirley demanded nonchalantly, several of the other Witches handing her some seemingly large amounts of money.

Minna raised an unamused eyebrow and Jack tilted his head questioningly.

"We've all known for some time," Shirley elaborated, counting her money, and Jack heard the telepathic _just as planned_ from Minna, or suspected that she was thinking it at least. "We had a pool going for the last month and a bit, and I just won it all."

"I did not know," Teal'c said, Jack being one of the few people in the room to have spent enough time with him to know that it was indignant.

"Well… I'm also pregnant," Minna spurted out, and just about every jaw in the room dropped, Sergeant Miyafuji, Flying Officer Clostermann, and Flying Officer Litvyak feinting.

"That, we didn't know," the wide eyed Shirley said quietly.

After a moment of silence, and Minna and Jack sharing a smile, Pilot Officer Lucchini jumped up and shouted, "Yay! I'm going to be an auntie!"

"Uh, not quite," Minna said, "I'm resigning and leaving Major Sakamoto in charge, with Shirley as her second."

"The hell?!" Shirley shouted, jumping to her feet, "I don't want to be the bloody second, why don't you give that to Barkhorn!"

"I haven't resigned yet," Minna said sternly, "and you and the Major worked well together."

"You can't resign," Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn said, her shock subsiding, "we need you here!"

Minna put a hand on her stomach affectionately, "well, there's going to be another person that needs me more."

"And that's why we're also moving," Jack added, giving Minna a peck on the top of the head, "to a little cottage in southern Romagna."

This time, Pilot Officer Lucchini collapsed, Flight Sergeant Bishop following her after blinking several times.

"What are you doing?" Daniel demanded.

Jack and Minna took a step away from each other, spread their feet, put their hands behind their backs, and wore a look of dead seriousness. "Teaching you a lesson about spreading rumours," Minna informed them.

"W-W-WHAT?!" Shirley shouted at the top of her lungs, startling the rest of the conscious Witches and SG-1, "NONE OF THAT WAS REAL?!"

"No," Minna replied calmly, "none of it was real. We strung you along."

"Jesus Christ," the Liberian muttered, falling to her seat with a confused and tired look on her face.

* * *

About and hour and half after they had revealed their true relationship to the others, Jack and Minna stumbled into the Karlslander's office. They had not expected everyone to yell at them quite so much. Minna hadn't been aware that Miyafuji nor Lynette even _knew_ any curse words. And the measure of rage that she saw in Sanya wasn't even present when fighting the Neuroi, and Eila, she had gotten so red in the face that she looked like a different person.

"My God," Jack said, hitting the wall with a thud and sliding to the floor, "did you hear Flying Officer Litvyak? If it hadn't been for Major Sakamoto, I think she would have killed us with her bare hands."

"You know you exaggerate far too often?" Minna said, collapsing into her chair. In truth, they probably deserved everything that had happened in that room. She just hadn't thought that far ahead.

"And Sergeant Miyafuji and Flight Sergeant Bishop, I mean Jesus Christ, where did they even learn those words? I've known plenty of types like theirs and there is no way they've been to the places where you learn those sorts of words."

"Your time is different to ours," Minna reminded him. There was no way either of them would live this down.

* * *

Seven days after what had become known as the 'dating incident', the Naquadah payload for the V2 had been complete, and Jack was back in Neuroi occupied territory, this time with Teal'c as his companion. They were going to scout ahead to see how dense the enemy was at the time. After reporting back on the enemy density, movements and positions, every Witch save Sergeant Miyafuji would be deployed to clear a direct path to the hive and Flight Lieutenant Barkhorn and Shirley would pick the ground team up, being the strongest and fastest respectively. Once a path was clear, Sam would launch the V2 and Sergeant Miyafuji would protect the rocket against whatever the Neuroi could muster after what would essentially be a blitzkrieg.

"Two more, going east," Teal'c, who was looking through binoculars at the time, informed Jack, who relayed it back to the base. "I believe that is all of them, O'Neill."

"We got 'em all, Minna," Jack said over the radio.

"Copy that," Minna replied.

Jack looked at Teal'c, "We'd better get outta here before the action starts."

Teal'c nodded.

* * *

"Move it, move it, move it!" Both Barkhorn and Shirley shouted, waving the other Witches into the hanger. None of them had expected Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c's recognisance to be over so quickly, and most of them had still been doing their pre-mission rituals. Shirley and Barkhorn, being the senior most officers aside from the Major Sakamoto and Commander Minna, but they had been in the CIC when the order to move was issued.

"Where's the Major and the Commander?" a concerned Yoshika asked.

"They'll be bringing up the rear and relieving and supporting the more tired of us," Shirley replied, jumping into her Striker, BAR in hand.

* * *

"Alright, time for us to move," Minna told, Mio, who nodded and moved towards the door to leave the CIC. The other Witches aside from Yoshika were on the battle field and it was time for them to move in and support the most tired of the lot.

Just before Mio got to the door however, the radio crackled and a deep voice said, "Wing Commander Minna-DietlindeWilcke and others of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing Strike Witches, my name is Bra'tac of Chulak. My men and I will assist you in fighting the… Neuroi."

Mio had already run to the radar readout as soon as the message started and Minna was there not long after. They saw the silhouettes of four Goa'uld death gliders. The two shared a glance before Minna ran to the radio, "Abort mission, abort mission. Four Goa'uld death gliders en route to your position!"

"Belay that order," Colonel O'Neill replied almost immediately, "Commander, we know this guy, he's on our side."

"Colonel…!"

He cut her off, "there's no time to explain, just trust me."

Minna looked at Mio for advice, but she offered none.

"Fine. Continue as planned, do not fire on Bra'tac or his gliders."

* * *

Shirley shook her head as she rolled around a Neuroi beam, Barkhorn travelling in her slipstream so that she could keep pace. "This day is going to be FUBAR," she muttered to herself, the biggest give away being that they were working _with_Goa'uld. Both of them were already well ahead of the other Witches, and could see Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c, or at least where they said they would hide until the pick-up.

* * *

"Go left, go left, go left!" Perrine shouted as two smaller Neuroi tried to flank her and Lucchini.

Lucchini banked left and the flanking Neuroi fired, but had not anticipated the Witches moving, and hit their teammates who were approaching from behind.

"Watch my front," Lucchini said, flipping over so that she faced up and could fire her Breda-SAFAT backwards at the enemy.

Perrine kept her eyes ahead, concentrating on her task.

"I need to reload, switch!" Lucchini yelled after seven seconds of sustained fire.

Perrine did a flip and switched positions with Lucchini without losing any of her forwards momentum. She could see that Lucchini's 12.7mm HEIT rounds had worn away a significant portion of the enemy's armour and over a dozen of the red hexagons it fired the beams from. She had already exhausted her 100 round pan magazine for the Bren and was onto the 30 round box magazines, of which she only carried another six, which was more than twice what she normally carried, and she would have to pick her target carefully. Seeing as how the core still wasn't exposed, and she didn't have the ordinance to do a significant amount of damage, she aimed for the few red hexagons that she could see, disabling them.

"Empty!" The Gallian shouted, switching positions with her Romagnan wingman.

"Got it," Lucchini shouted after another four seconds.

Perrine chanced a look back over her shoulder to confirm the kill, and then began looking for another target.

"Lucchini, Perrine," the Commander called over the radio, her and the Major joining the battle, "one thousand two hundred metres north by north west, small blimp type. Take it out."

"Yes, ma'am," the two replied, banking to their new target.

* * *

Three rockets impacted the side of the light double hull class hostile that Eila had been harassing. The salvo of rockets revealed and destroyed the core.

"Took your time," Eila teased when she met back up with the Orussian.

"S-sor…" Sanya trailed off and her expression changed from apologetic to stern, a very strange expression for the Orussian.

"What is it?" Eila asked, concerned that something was wrong.

"Bra'tac and his men are here," she said, pointing to the west at four shapes.

"Watch out!" Eila half shouted, pulling Sanya up to avoid a Neuroi beam that she had sensed.

* * *

Teal'c fired several shots behind he and Barkhorn as they spiralled through the air. Shirley and Barkhorn had only picked up Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill a couple of minutes ago, and until then the Neuroi had left them alone. Left them alone relative to how much the other Witches were putting up with, anyway. Now though, the Neuroi were all over them.

"Fire God dammit!" Shirley shouted at O'Neill. She had to give him her gun since she had to carry him. Thankfully he had ditched his Kevlar, but he still weighted a ton.

"I can't get a shot!" he growled back, "Flip over and I can see past your freakin' breasts!"

"I can barely lift your fat ass as it is! I'm twice as fast as Barkhorn and she's bloody over taken me!"

A Goa'uld death glider flew at the retreating team and went straight past, firing its cannons. Soon after, there was and explosion and the beams ceased. Shirley managed a glance back and saw the glider collide with the ground in a fireball.

"Everyone, pull out," O'Neill said into the radio, "Sam, launch the rocket. Bra'tac, get your men clear."

* * *

Yoshika had flown well ahead of the V2 prior to the launch due to its great speed. She was given two seconds of warning before it was launched, but it only took twenty second for it to reach her. Flying as fast as she might, she could only defend it from Neuroi beams for ten seconds after that. Damn was that thing fast!

"Pull back, Miyafuji," the Commander said calmly over the radio, "any further and you'll get caught in the blast."

"Yes, ma'am," Yoshika replied with relief. She was all too happy to be away from the weapon of mass destruction.

After a moment, Major Carter said over the radio, "Everyone, look away from the explosion. Sergeant Miyafuji, floor it. Get as far away from ground zero as possible."

"Yes, ma'am," Yoshika replied again, putting all power to the engines.

"Thirty seconds…" Major Carter said, "…twenty seconds… ten seconds…" Yoshika felt a knot in her stomach, "… five seconds… four… three…" Yoshika tensed, "two…"

The Fuso Witch didn't hear the one, she just felt the intense heat and was thrown tumbling forward, she couldn't even hear her own screaming. Suddenly, she was pulled back towards the hive.

She tried to regain control of her flight, even though she couldn't tell which way was up. "Come on…" her Strikers weren't working, "Come on... start… start!" her engines sputtered, but then went out. "No, no… no…" her shield sprang to life and her vision began to blur, she could feel to blood rushing to her head. She hoped that when she hit the ground, her shield would hit first and absorb some of the impact, and not her so that she woul splatter everywhere.


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue

Yoshika had dragged herself away from the crash site. Fortunately, she had landed shield first, but that hadn't meant that she wasn't hurt at all. As best as she could figure, her right leg was broken, her left had a shattered knee, shin and ankle, her left shoulder was dislocated, and she suspected that she had some internal bleeding and a concussion. And she thought that the reason she wasn't that worried was due to shock, that's what made the most sense to her.

"You need to get well away from here," her father told her.

She looked up to see her father, with his hands in his coat pockets. "Dad…?"

"Sshh, don't talk," he said warmly, putting a finger over her lips, "Don't waste any energy you don't have to." He pointed at her legs, "better fix that before you bleed out."

Yoshika looked at her legs which were dragging along the ground behind, leaving quite a trail of blood between her and the crash site. It turned out that her right leg wasn't broken, but mangled with several jagged parts of her Striker sticking out. "Oh." She looked back up at her father, "What should I do, there aren't any bandages?"

"Tear your shirt and use that as a tourniquet," he suggested.

Yoshika's eyes widened, "Of course!" She tore her shirt from the bottom, careful to make it into an inch and a half thick strip about two metres long. She wrapped it around the top her leg twice, tightly, and tied it off. It was tight enough to just about cut off circulation, or at least that's what she thought.

"What now?" Yoshika asked her father, looking around at the surrounding trees.

"You need to find some sort of shelter," he said with a reassuring smile, "one of the Goa'uld death gliders crashed nearby, it might be able to provide some cover."

"That's right," she smiled, "Um, I don't know where that is."

"I'll show you," he said with that same reassuring smile.

"Thank you, dad."

He walked off and she followed him, dragging her legs across the ground. Soon she could see a trail of smoke billowing up into the air, soon after that, she saw the wreckage of the Goa'uld death glider, a wing sticking out of the ground enough to provide some shelter.

Yoshika's father helped her get under the wing and then went to get some firewood, saying, "It will be night soon, we'd better get a fire started and find you something to eat."

She smiled and curled up under the wing and closed her eyes. She was happy to see her father again.

Before she could fall asleep properly, someone tapped her on the cheek. She opened her eyes and saw her father, a concerned look on his face, "Hey, hey, don't go to sleep, you've got a concussion."

"That's right…"

He grabbed both her shoulders and knelt down to look her in the eye, "Promise me you'll stay awake."

"I promise." Even though she was tired, she wouldn't go to sleep.

He father left and she sat there, looking at the broken trees around her. There were a few small dead or wounded animals around the place too, but there was nothing she could do for them, there was barely anything she could do for herself. It was a good thing that her father was there to help her.

Yoshika didn't know how long it took for her father to return, but the sun had nearly set. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't find any food," he said, piling up some sticks and trying to start a fire.

"That's okay," she said, "I'm not hungry, anyway." It was a lie, she was quite hungry, but she didn't want to make her father feel bad.

Finally, he got the fire started and then sat next to Yoshika, putting his arm over her shoulders. "I missed you so much," she said, snuggling into his chest.

"I know," he replied, putting his other arm around her head and holding her tight, "I know."

* * *

The air was surprisingly calm considering the events of the previous day. Shirley was doing her third sweep of the area, along with every other able bodied Witch in the region. None of them were going to give up the search for Yoshika, even if the chances of her having survived were slim at best. They would find her, of that she was certain.

"I found her!" Lynette squealed with glee, "I found her!"

"Give me your location," Shirley ordered.

* * *

Yoshika blinked several times and noticed it was morning, and that the fire was just a pile of smouldering ashes.

"Dad?" she said, looking around for her father, "Dad, where are you?" The roar of magical engines echoed in the distance and overhead, but Yoshika didn't care about any of that, she wanted to know where her father was. "Dad?!"

* * *

"How is she?" Shirley asked as she landed at the crashed Goa'uld death glider that Lynette said Yoshika was at and dismounted her Strikers. Barkhorn was there too, along with Major Sakamoto, both of whom were seeing to Yoshika's wounds. Lynette on the other hand was distraught, Shirley suspected at seeing her best friend in such a condition.

"It's not looking good," Barkhorn said with little emotion in her voice, "Unless we can get a medical here, she's going to lose her leg, and the other one smells infected, and that's only _if_ she survives. I don't even know how she managed to survive the night."

"Shirley, see to Lynette, if you can't calm her down, get her out of here," Major Sakamoto ordered, before saying a in a voice Shirley thought no one was meant to hear, "I can't concentrate with that crying."

"Dad…" Yoshika got out as Shirley walked over to the sobbing Lynette and put a reassuring arm over her shoulders, "hey, cone on, let's leave them be, okay?"

Lynette nodded and Shirley led her away from the death glider.

* * *

"I think we've done all we can for this leg," Major Sakamoto said, talking about Yoshika's mangled leg as she threw away an empty packet of field dressing. Gertrude nodded and moved over slightly so that Major Sakamoto could get in a better position to help with the merely broken leg. Neither had much medical training or experience, but they were all that was available at the moment, however the chances of that mattering much were slim. Gertrude hadn't told Shirley about the Fuso girl's other injuries; she was in shock, dehydrated, and had countless cuts and bruises.

"Okay, Yoshika," Major Sakamoto said calmly but firmly, "This is going to hurt, I need you to bite down on this," she put a thick bit of stick wrapped equally thickly in cloth in her mouth.

"Ready?" Gertrude asked, her hands ready to push the broken bits of leg back together so that the Major could apply a makeshift splint.

Major Sakamoto nodded.

Gertrude took a deep breath and realigned the bones, and the Major began tying a stick to it.

Yoshika bit down on the stick for a moment and then screamed out in pain.

* * *

Pain shot through Yoshika's entire body, bringing her crashing back down to reality. "GARGH! Fffuu… urgh!"

* * *

Gertrude reached into her trauma kit and got the syrette of morphine. She pulled the cap off with her teeth and stabbed it into Yoshika's leg. Major Sakamoto had done the same.

* * *

Shirley pulled Lynette's head into her chest and wrapped her arms around her head so that her ears were covered. That scream… Shirley had to bite her lip, that scream was horrible.

After a moment, it died down a little and Shirley released Lynette and looked her in the eye, "Now, Lynette, I need you to wait here until someone gets you, okay? Can you do that?"

Lynette managed a nod.

Shirley pulled the pin on her one smoke grenade and dropped it at her feet as she walked away, talking over the radio, "I need someone to come a get Lynette out of here. She's within ten feet of the red smoke."

"I'm on it," Sanya replied.

Shirley let out a sigh of relief; it was for the best that Sanya be the one to take Lynette away. Sanya would likely have the same reaction at seeing Yoshika as Lynette had.

Snapping back to reality, Shirley ran back to the wounded Yoshika, sliding on her knees to Barkhorn's side and pulling up her sleeves, "What do you need me to do?"

"Morphine," the Major answered, "right leg."

"We've already given her two shots," Barkhorn said.

"Listen to the girl!" Major Sakamoto growled, flinging her arm at Yoshika, "Give her the damn morphine."

Wordlessly, Shirley got her morphine Syrette out of her trauma kit and plunged it into Yoshika's leg, who was biting down on a thick stick wrapped in fabric that looked like it was about to break, and she was still managing to scream. _Jesus Christ, how much pain could she possibly be in?_

Suddenly, Yoshika stopped screaming and she slumped.

"Her pulse is slowing!" a frantic Barkhorn said, holding two fingers on Yoshika's jugular.

"Where the hell is that medic!?" Major Sakamoto shouted into her radio, "We're losing her!"

"Keep her alive for two more minutes," Shirley heard the Colonel reply.

"Come on, stay with us," Shirley said to Yoshika, tapping her on the cheek and then pulling open her eyelid to see if the pupil dilated, "Don't you give up now, come on, stay with us."

* * *

"Colonel, send the truck our way" Minna said over the radio to Jack who was in the CIC. Both Minna and Hartmann had been the closest Witches to the base with some level of medical experience, so they had returned to gather what medical supplies they could carry before seeing to Sergeant Miyafuji.

"Copy that, I'll send Daniel right away," he replied before going to the wall mounted phone and dialling 04 for the hanger, "Daniel, take Juutilainen and Clostermann with you."

"Yes, sir," was the reply a moment later.

Jack walked over to the radio and put the headset back on, "Daniel, Clostermann and Juutilainen are en route. ETA thirty five minutes."

"That's fine," Minna replied, "I think we can keep her stable for that long."

* * *

Everyone waited outside the hastily erected surgery. It had been several hours since Sergeant Miyafuji had been rescued, and the infirmary had been turned into a surgical room the moment the field surgeons had arrived. Jack was surprised that it had only taken an hour for them to arrive once called.

"So," Jack said to Minna, finally breaking the silence, every person in the room looking up and staring at him, "Your governments are none the wiser about the bomb?"

Minna looked back down at her hands, "No. As far as they know, while we were conducting an operation and the Neuroi Hive... it just went kaput."

Major Sakamoto smiled slightly, though Jack could tell it was a fake smile, "Rumours are already spreading, something about the Neuroi Hive being like a battleship inside, and that something went wrong. Another says it was a secret group of Witches who infiltrated it, destroying it from the inside. And then there's one that we're housing people from a different time, people with advanced technology capable of swiftly dispatching Neuroi." She laughed, but Jack knew the laugh to be as fake as her smile, "I find that last one to be a preposterous."

"Is this humour, Major Sakamoto?" Teal'c asked. He was still trying to get to grips with human nature.

Minna sighed and stood up. "Come on. Lynette may stay, but the rest of us have work to do."

Just as the others were reluctantly getting up to leave, the door to the makeshift surgery burst open, the medical Witch and the surgeon coming out, pulling down their masks. "She'll live," he said, "won't be able to walk for some weeks and will need a number of months in rehab, but she'll live."

"She barely didn't make," the medical Witch said angrily, "if we hadn't gotten here when we did, you idiots probably would have given her another unit of morphine, wouldn't you? That alone nearly bloody killed her." She shook her finger, "there is a reason there's only one syrette in your trauma kits."

"Thank you, Manon," Minna said to the medical Witch, "remember…"

"Yeah, yeah," Manon said, raising her hand with a teasing smile, "We didn't see or hear anything."

"Thank you," Minna replied.

"Okay everyone," Major Sakamoto barked loudly, "Miyafuji will survive, you can all go back to work."


End file.
